Harbhajan Singh comes with a new idea for national team coaching, wants Rahul Dravid to be replaced as T20 head coach

After a few continuous poor performances of Team India in the major international tournaments, the Indian cricketing scenarios are continuously revolving around the debate of format-specialist team management across the different formats. It all started when Team India was eliminated from the group stage of the 20-20 World Cup 2021 followed by their debacle in the semi-final against India in the 20-20 World Cup 2022 last year.

Meanwhile, there have been a few voices that were raised in favor of split coaching and split captaincy according to the demand of format; be it Tests or T20Is. Now, the former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has joined this list of split captaincy’s staunch advocators. He felt that India needs a guy to have a specific understanding of the shortest format of the game i.e., T20I.

“Yes, you have two captains, so you can have two coaches. Why not? Someone whose planning is different. Like England has done with Brendon McCullum. Someone like Virender Sehwag or Ashish Nehra who worked with Gujarat Titans and Hardik Pandya won his first tournament (IPL) as captain. So, bring someone who understands the concept of T20 and the demands of the game,” said Harbhajan Singh to Indian Express during an Idea Exchange event

"If Ashish Nehra is the T20 coach, then he knows that his job is to make the Indian team champions"

"The coach knows that the focus is on T20 cricket. Say if Ashish Nehra is the T20 coach, then he knows that his job is to make the Indian team champions in the T20 format, and Rahul Dravid knows he has to work on how the Indian team can be No.1 in Tests and ODIs,” he added later.

While summing up his part, the great off-spinner reckoned that the men in blue are ought to give their best to excel in preparations for the all-important ODI World Cup 2023.

“I think we need to show a little more intent. If you are playing T20s then you can’t play it like a one-day match. If you are playing an ODI, you can’t play it like a Test match. We can’t be dependent on two-three players to win you the championship. When you have a World Cup in front of you, you need eight to nine guys performing at the same time. One or two players can win you matches, but it is the team that can win you the tournament," concluded the turbanator.