From Shikhar Dhawan to Jasprit Bumrah: 7 captains Rahul Dravid has worked with as India's head coach

Rahul Dravid has worked with as many as seven captains while serving as India's head coach since the Men in Blue's tour of Sri Lanka last year. Here are the captains who have operated with the former Indian skipper-turned-coach:

Rahul Dravid was appointed as India's stand-in head coach when a second-stringed Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian white-ball team toured Sri Lanka last year. Thus, Dravid started his journey as the senior men's team's coach by working alongside a stand-in skipper Dhawan. Back then, Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri's Indian Test team was in England for the five-match series. The Dravid-Dhawan pair led India to a 2-1 ODI series win before losing the three T20Is by the same margin (with many key players missing out due to Covid concerns).

For the unversed, Dravid will once again resume his partnership with Dhawan in India's forthcoming three-match ODI series versus West Indies, on the Caribbean island, from June 22. Regular captain Rohit Sharma will miss the 50-over series but reclaim charge of the side during the five T20Is.

As soon as Dravid took charge as India's permanent head coach in last November, he formed a new partnership with Rohit Sharma. Hitman was named as India's full-time T20I captain after the one-time winners' disastrous run in the 2021 T20 World Cup, under Virat Kohli. 

Dravid-Rohit's first series as coach-captain came during the home T20Is versus New Zealand, which India won 3-0.

During India's two-match Test series opener versus visitors New Zealand, last year, Dravid operated with stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane. Back then, red-ball skipper Kohli was rested for the Kanpur Test, hence, then vice-captain Rahane took charge. Even Rohit Sharma wasn't part of the Test series. India came very close to winning the first Test in Kanpur, but the Kiwis earned a riveting draw courtesy their unbeaten last-wicket stand.

Dravid worked with captain Kohli for the first time during the NZ Test series decider in Mumbai. The Kohli-Dravid partnership started with a bang, with India defeating New Zealand by 372 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai to win the series 1-0. 

The captain-coach worked in two more Tests versus South Africa, in the African nation, in 2021/22. India won and lost a game each.

The legendary cricketer formed another new partnership when KL Rahul was India's stand-in captain during the SA tour, held early this year. The pairing hasn't worked well for Team India as KL is yet to lead the side to a win across formats as captain. He led India in the second and penultimate Test versus South Africa (due to an injured Kohli), in Johannesburg, and the following three ODIs (in absence of an unfit white-ball captain Rohit). India lost all the games.

Dravid was set to resume his partnership with KL Rahul for the India-SA T20Is at home, post the IPL 2022 edition (in Rohit's absence). However, Rahul's injury meant that Rishabh Pant took his place as Dravid was once again asked to work with a new skipper. 

Dravid-Pant's partnership was a topsy-turvy one. A second-stringed India were 2-0 down in the five T20Is before levelling it 2-2 before rain abandoned the fifth and final match in Bengaluru.

'The Wall' Dravid got another new captain in Bumrah (with Rohit ruled out due to Covid concerns) when India faced England in the one-off Test in Edgbaston, early this month. Despite India gaining a sizeable 132-run lead, Bumrah & Co. failed to defend a challenging 378-run target versus Ben Stokes-led England, who rode on Jonny Bairstow's twin tons and Joe Root's unbeaten century in the final innings to win by seven wickets.