Indian team is currently touring New Zealand for a six-match limited-overs series under new captains and coaching staff. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rahul Dravid, and his support staff have all been rested from this tour after the T20 World Cup 2022.
In their place, Hardik Pandya is leading the Indian team in T20Is and Shikhar Dhawan will captain in the ODIs, with VVS Laxman and his support staff of Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Sairaj Bahutule taking over the coaching duties.
However, the reaction to Rahul Dravid and co, resting from this tour has been pretty mixed with former coach Ravi Shastri being unimpressed with the constant breaks Dravid has been taking, saying that it affected the player-coach relationship.
But now, ace Indian spinner R Ashwin, who was part of the Indian squad in the T20 World Cup and who was not included in the side for the New Zealand tour, explained why Dravid and other members of the support staff have taken the break.
"I will explain why Laxman has gone there with a completely different team because even that could be interpreted differently. Rahul Dravid and his team put in extensive hard work ahead of the T20 World Cup, right from planning. Since I saw this from close quarters, I'm saying this," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
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Ashwin also pointed out that India has to leave for Bangladesh just a day after the white-ball tour of New Zealand ends, which is also why Dravid and Co took a break.
"They had specific in-depth plans for each venue and each opposition. So they would have been under not only mental but also physical burnout and everyone needed a break. As soon as the New Zealand series ends, we have the Bangladesh tour. That's why we have a different coaching staff led by Laxman for this tour," he added.
