“I remember Virat…”: Rahul Dravid talks about the first impression of Virat Kohli

When Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid last visited Dominica to play a Test match in 2011, their responsibilities were considerably different from one another. As it turned out, Dravid was in the middle of his illustrious career and Kohli was making his Test debut. Few people would have imagined them showing up at Windsor Park 12 years later, yet here they are, back in the West Indies, serving in quite different roles. While Kohli is a modern great approaching a highly interesting stage of his career, Dravid is currently the head coach of the team he played for for 16 years.

After the World Cup, Dravid's present contract as coach expires; whether the BCCI will renew it is a topic for another day. Similar to how Kohli, who is excluded from the T20I setup, will turn 35 by the time the World Cup concludes, it is uncertain whether he will continue to play in both Tests and ODIs.

In an emotional homage to Kohli, Dravid praised the accomplishments of the former India captain as they both move towards tense futures. Dravid grins with satisfaction as he recalls watching Kohli advance from his beginnings in Test cricket to his legendary status. When a young Virat initially appeared on the scene at the age of 19, Dravid enjoyed each of his accomplishments while simultaneously creating a sense of suspense about Kohli's future.

Rahul Dravid talks about the 2011 Series

"When we came back here in 2011, that was a very special occasion for this island and the ground here. To now come back in a different capacity - as a coach and with the team - Virat was the only one who was there in 2011. I remember Virat... it was his first Test series with the Indian team, and he was this young kid. He had done really well in one-day cricket and was finding his feet in Tests. But you could see that there was this special talent and that he was going to be around for a while. For how long, you can never say but he can be very proud of his journey," Dravid said in a video shared by the BCCI.

"I certainly never thought that I could coach and come here 12 years later so it's kind of nice, not just for me but to see Virat, his journey – from being a young player on that trip to now being a senior player. It's been great for me to see that journey. I think of myself as someone who is a young coach starting out his journey as well. The tables have turned a little bit," added the India coach.

There are more unique connections between Dravid and Kohli besides the 2011 West Indies. Even though India lost Dravid's final ODI, Kohli made a century as part of a 170-run partnership. Kohli scored his first century in Dravid's farewell Test for India against Australia in Adelaide in 2012. For four seasons, the two were even teammates at Royal Challengers Bangalore. Years later, it was therefore only natural that Kohli and Dravid served as India's coach and captain, if only for three matches due to Virat relinquishing the captaincy. Dravid acknowledges that he never imagined himself serving as a coach again, but the 38-year-old Dravid is incredibly happy to see the legacy Kohli has created over the past ten years.

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