Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid has fondly reflected on his time guiding India’s U-19 team, recalling the immense talent that came through the system during his tenure. Speaking on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel, Dravid highlighted how several players from that period went on to become household names in international cricket.
Pant and Samson: Special First Impressions
Dravid reserved special praise for wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, both of whom left a lasting impression on him as teenagers. “When you see Rishabh for the first time, you could feel that this guy is something different,” Dravid recalled. “When I first saw Sanju as an 18-year-old, he looked like a million bucks.”
A Glimpse at the 2016 Batch
Reflecting on the 2016 U-19 batch, Dravid acknowledged that not every player has followed the same trajectory. “Even someone like Khaleel Ahmed is still finding his way, not being able to crack it fully,” he said. But from that same group, players like Pant have flourished, becoming key members of the senior Indian team.
Talent Pipeline Beyond 2016
Dravid also highlighted the emergence of other youngsters shortly after that period, including Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw, who have both represented India at the highest level. He stressed that the excitement came not from just one or two stars, but from the collective pool of talent emerging from India’s youth setup. “It’s not one kid that makes you go ‘wow,’ it’s just the talent coming through the Indian system that makes you go wow,” Dravid said.
Credit to the Indian System
The former U-19 coach credited the Indian cricket structure for consistently producing quality players. With more A-tours, exposure to different conditions, and the IPL offering young cricketers a chance to rub shoulders with international stars, Dravid believes India’s bench strength continues to deepen.
The Bigger Picture
Looking back, Dravid’s words underline how the nurturing of U-19 players has shaped Indian cricket’s present. With stars like Pant, Samson, Gill, and Shaw already at the forefront and many more waiting in the wings, the system he helped develop continues to deliver on its promise.