PR Sreejesh, the legendary former Indian hockey goalkeeper expressed his admiration for former India cricket coach Rahul Dravid’s coaching philosophy and is hoping to follow a similar path in mentoring the next generation of hockey players, keeping the 2036 Olympics in mind. Sreejesh wants to work closely with the country's junior and emerging talents. He aims to groom the future stars of Indian hockey just like Dravid did with the Under 19 players.

Read Also: India at Olympics: Every member of the medal-winning hockey teams

Rahul Dravid's journey began with nurturing India’s U-19 and A team players before leading the senior side. Sreejesh wants to play a similar role within the hockey setup.

"I want to become a coach. That was always my plan but now there is a question of when. After retirement, family comes first. I need to talk with them if they are OK with this. Now you have to listen to your wife a little bit," Sreejesh told PTI.

"The way I wanted is start with the juniors, and Rahul Dravid is an example. It's like you develop a bunch of players, get them into the senior team, and let them follow you," he said.

Sreejesh wants to transform Indian Hockey setup into the World's best side before the 2036 Olympics

Sreejesh wants to start at the grassroots level, working his way up to the position of chief national coach by the time the 2032 Brisbane Olympics arrive. Sreejesh believes that the Indian Hockey setup can rule the world once again like they did in the 50's and 60's.

"I start this year, next in 2025, we have the junior World Cup and in another two years, the senior team will be playing the World Cup. So maybe, by 2028, I can produce 20 or 40 players and by 2029, I can have 15-20 players into the senior team, and by 2030 almost like 30-35 players in the senior side. And 2032, I will be ready for the chief coach's position. If India gets to host the 2036 Olympic Games, I want to be the India coach," Sreejesh concluded.

The former goalkeeper played a crucial role in India's bronze medal win at the recently-concluded Olympics in Paris. He was also a part of the team that won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

The Olympic Games are the world's oldest sporting spectacle, uniting athletes globally every four years. Medals here represent the ultimate standard of international athletic excellence. In contrast, the Commonwealth Games, known as the "Friendly Games," gather athletes from Commonwealth nations. While a major multi-sport event, its scale and competitive depth differ from the Olympics.

We bring you a direct comparison of performance in Commonwealth vs Olympics and India's medal ratios, based on their historical participation.

India's Olympic medal journey

India debuted in the Olympic Games in 1900, where Norman Pritchard, a British-Indian athlete, won 2 silver medals in athletics. This victory marked the beginning of India's medal book at the grandest stage of sport.

For a significant period following this, India's Olympic identity was primarily defined by the success of Men's Hockey team. They dominated the sport, winning six consecutive gold medals from 1928 to 1956, and adding further golds in 1964 and 1980.

India's rise in the Olympics came after the 2000s, where individual athletes proved themselves and won medals for the nation.

Read Also: Timeline: India’s rise at the Olympics

Key individual breakthroughs:

• K. D. Jadhav (1952): Bronze in Wrestling. First individual medalist for independent India. 
• Leander Paes (1996): He brought the first-ever medal for India in tennis with his Bronze medal win.
• Karnam Malleswari (2000): First Indian woman to win an Olympic medal (Bronze in Weightlifting)
• Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2004): Silver in Shooting. India's first medal in this sport.
• Vijender Singh (2008): First Indian athlete to win a medal in Boxing (Bronze).
• Abhinav Bindra (2008): India's first individual Gold medalist (Sport: Shooting)
• Saina Nehwal (2012): Second Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She also brought the first medal for India in Badminton with her Bronze.
• Neeraj Chopra (2020/2021): Gold in Javelin throw. India's second individual gold.
• Manu Bhaker (2024): Second Indian to win 2 medals (Bronze in shooting) in a single Olympic edition.

India's dominance in the Commonwealth Games

India's debut at the Commonwealth Games (then British Empire Games) was in 1934 in London, where Rashid Anwar won the nation's first medal – a bronze in wrestling. Over the decades, India's presence has grown, cementing its status as a leading nation within the Commonwealth sporting fraternity.

Notable achivements:

• Milkha Singh (Athletics): First Indian to win a Gold medal at the CWG, in 1958.
• Jaspal Rama (Shooting): Most successful Indian athlete at the commonwealth games. He won 15 medals overall (9 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze)
• Sharath Kamal (Table Tennis): Won 4 medals (3 gold, 1 silver) in 2022, making him India's most successful athlete at that event.
• Ami Ghia and Kanwal Thakar Singh (Badminton): First Indian women to win a medal in the CWG. They won a bronze medal in women's doubles badminton in 1978.
• Roopa Unnikrishnan (Shooting): First Indian woman to win a Gold medal at the CWG in 1998.

Read Also: Cricket removed from Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth vs Olympics – A direct comparison

OLYMPICS: India has won 41 medals in the history of Olympic Games, which includes 10 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 21 bronze medals. India's most successful sport Olympic sport is Field Hockey (Men's team). They earned 13 medals in total.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES: India has won 564 medals in the history of CWG, with 203 gold, 190 silver, and 171 bronze medals. Their most successful sport at the games is Shooting, where they won 63 gold medals, and a total of 135 medals.

Read Also: Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

India's Medal Ratios:

Most successful sport (Medals):

Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham has been a lucky hunting ground for the England cricket team against the Men in Blue since 1967. With the second test of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy around the corner at this great venue, we present you all the results of the England vs India test matches at Edgbaston Stadium. 

Ground Details 

Stadium Name: Edgbaston Stadium

Location: Edgbaston Rd, Birmingham B5 7QU, Birmingham, United Kingdom

County team: Warwickshire County Cricket Club

Established: 1882

Capacity: 24,803

Since 1902, Edgbaston has been hosting test matches. Till now, they have hosted 56 test matches, among which 8 were played between England and India.

ENG vs IND Test at Edgbaston: Overall results

Total tests: 8

England won: 7

India won: 0

Drawn: 1

ENG vs IND Test at Edgbaston: Every result

13-17 July 1967: England won by 132 runs

India first played a test match at Edgbaston in 1967 when Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's team were hosted by Brian Close's English side. 

England won the toss and decided to bat first. Although India bowled well and the spin attack of Bishan Bedi, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, and Erapalli Prasanna helped England get bowled out for 298 in the first innings, Indian batters failed them.

India were bundled out for only 92 in the first inning and could not manage to come back from then on.

England scored 203 in the second inning as Prasanna took another 4 wickets in the inning, going with his 3 in the first inning.  

Despite a fighting 70 off 214 balls from Ajit Wadekar and 47 off 145 from captain Pataudi, India fell short by 132 runs. India lost the series 0-3.

4-8 July 1974 | England won by an inning and 78 runs

In their second test match at the Edgbaston Stadium, Ajit Wadekar's India faced a huge defeat. 

They were again playing the third and final test of the series, after losing the first two.

India batted first but could only manage 165 in the first inning. Star opener Sunil Gavaskar was out for a golden duck in the first inning. Farokh Engineer was the star for India with an unbeaten 64.  

David Lloyd scored a mammoth unbeaten 214 while captain Mike Denness scored 100 from 189 balls to take England to 459/2, after which they declared. 

In the second inning, India were bowled out for 216 and lost the match by an inning and 78 runs. Sudhir Naik scored a valiant 77 for India. 

12-16 July 1979 | England won by an inning and 83 runs

India would have managed a historic unbeaten series if they had started the 1979 tour well at Edgbaston. 

During that tour, India only lost one match, and that was in Birmingham. 

England won the toss and batted first. Geoff Boycott (155) and David Gower (200*) helped England score 633/5 before declaring. Kapil Dev bowled his heart out before finishing with 146/5.

India started their fight with Sunil Gavaskar (61) and Gundappa Viswanath (78) scoring some runs in the first inning. But India could only manage 297 and were asked to follow on. 

In the second inning, Gavaskar scored 68 while Chetan Chauhan and Gundappa Viswanath scored fifties. But, India were bundled out for 253 only. 

Ian Botham took a five-wicket haul for England in the second innings. Sunil Gavaskar finished the series with 542 runs. 

Read Also | Most wickets vs England in England for India in tests

3-7 July 1986 | Draw

The first and only time till now when India did not lose a test match at Edgbaston was in the 1986 tour. 

Kapil Dev was the captain of the Indian team, and the fighting performance from everyone made sure India created history on that tour. 

England captain Mike Gatting scored an unbeaten 183 in the first inning, and England scored 390. Chetan Sharma picked up four wickets for India. 

Fifties from Mohinder Amarnath and young Mohammad Azharuddin helped India match England's first innings total. 

In the second inning, England only managed 235 as Chetan Sharma picked up a six-wicket haul to finish with a 10-wicket haul in the match. 

Gavaskar scored 54 while Mohammad Azharuddin remained unbeaten on 29 from 106 balls to help India draw the match.

India won the series 2-0, for the first time on English soil. 

6-10 June 1996 | England won by 8 wickets

10 years later, India could not keep the momentum as they faced England again in Birmingham. 

Last time's hero, Azharuddin, was the captain of the Indian team while Mike Atherton was leading the home side. 

India won the toss and batted first. Javagal Srinath's 52 from 65 balls at number 9 helped India reach 214 in the first inning. But England replied with a solid ton from Nasser Hussain (128). 

Despite the ton, England could reach only 313 as Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad picked up four wickets each for India. 

Sachin Tendulkar (122) scored a brilliant ton in the second inning, but other batters failed as India managed only 219 runs.

Mike Atherton remained unbeaten on 53 to see his team home with an easy win. That was England's only win of the series as the other two matches were drawn.

Read Also | Youngest Indian cricketers to score an international century

10-14 August 2011 | England won by an innings and 242 runs 

India faced their biggest defeat at the Edgbaston Stadium when they returned to the ground after 16 years. 

MS Dhoni's men, who were then the World's No.1 test team, just could not handle England's batting powerhouse and surrendered against the home side. 

Indian batters, except for MS Dhoni (77), failed in the first inning as India only managed 224 in the first inning. In reply, Alastair Cook scored his career best 294 from 545 balls to help England score 710/7 before they declared. 

Eoin Morgan also scored a ton for England in that inning. 

In the second inning, MS Dhoni again shone with the bat with an unbeaten 74 from 79 balls, but it was not enough for India to avoid a humiliating defeat. 

India were whitewashed by 0-4 in the series. 

Read Also | Most ICC Trophies by any men's team

1-5 August 2018 | England won by 31 runs

This was the closest India came to winning a test match at Edgbaston Stadium. 

After that humiliating defeat 7 years ago, Virat Kohli's men were desperate to turn things around for India. With two young captains (Joe Root and Virat Kohli) at their helm, world cricket saw one of the most contested test matches in Birmingham. 

Root scored 80 while Jonny Bairstow scored 70 for England as they scored 287 in the first inning. Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 4 while Mohammed Shami picked up 3 wickets for India. 

In reply, Kohli scored a staggering 149, but other batters failed to contribute much as the men in blue were bundled out for 274. Sam Curran picked up 4 wickets for the home side.

Indian bowlers replied with aggression as they were able to bowl England out for 180 in the second inning. But if it was not for Sam Curran's 63 from 65 balls, they could have been all out below 100. 

Ishant Sharma picked up 51/5. 

But, after Kohli's dismissal on 51 from 93 balls, the Indian batting order could not handle the pressure and eventually lost the match by 31 runs. 

England won the series 4-1. 

Read Also | Joe Root vs Sachin Tendulkar – Test Stats Compared: Can Root break Sachin's record

1-5 July 2022 | England won by 7 wickets

England's domination in Birmingham continued as they remained unbeaten in all 8 test matches against India there. 

India were missing Rohit Sharma, who had tested positive for Covid-19, as Jasprit Bumrah created history as the first pacer to captain India in Tests since the legendary Kapil Dev in 1987.

India scored 416 in the first inning after Rishabh Pant (146) and Ravindra Jadeja (104) scored tons for them. 

But Jonny Bairstow's 106 kept England in the game, despite getting them bowled out for 284. Mohammed Siraj took 66/4 for India. 

Cheteshwar Pujara, who opened in the match, scored 66 while Pant scored 57 to take India to 245 in the second inning. 

But, England managed to chase 378, their highest successful chase in Test cricket, as Joe Root (142*) and Bairstow (114*) played an incredible innings for the hosts. 

However, despite the defeat, India managed to draw the series 2-2. 

India's journey in Olympic Games began in 1900, but for many decades, success was limited. The nation's presence on the medal tally was defined by mostly one or two medals per edition, with the success of the Men's Hockey teams being the main reason for it.

However, the 21st century marked a turning point, as it saw India's rise at the Olympics. Their success at the Games picked up pace in several new ways.

Check out the full article to see how India's journey transformed:

1996-2008: Individual medals emerge

After years of triumph in Men's Hockey, 1996 Atlanta Olympics saw a change for India, as Leander Paes won a Bronze medal in Tennis. This victory brought in the first individual medal for India in Olympics after 44 years (previously: K.D. Jadhav won in 1952 in Wrestling).

Following this breakthrough, other individual athletes began to make their mark. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Karnam Malleswari made history with her Bronze medal win in Weightlifting, and became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

Moving to the next edition, the 2004 Athens Olympics saw another individual triumph, with a Silver medal this time. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore brought home India's first-ever medal in Shooting, laying the groundwork for India's extended talent pool beyond hockey.

In 2008, the momentum continued with Abhinav Bindra's Gold (Shooting), Vijender Singh's Bronze (Boxing), and Sushil Kumar's Bronze medal (Wrestling) in the same edition.

Read Also: Most medals by an Indian in a single Olympics

2012: Six Medals and India's Olympic Rise

The 2012 London Olympics was a truly historic moment for India. For the first time ever, India secured six individual medals in a single Olympic edition, that too in five different sports. This was not just a jump in numbers, but a clear rise for India in the Olympic Games.

Here, take a closer look at the medalists:

Gagan Narang: Bronze Medal in Shooting

Gagan Narang won India's first medal at London 2012, taking bronze in the men's 10m Air Rifle event with a final score of 701.1. He opened the medal books for India in this historic edition.

Sushil Kumar: Silver medal in Wrestling

Sushil Kumar became the first Indian to win two individual Olympic medals (previously in 2008), securing silver in the men's 66kg freestyle wrestling after a hard-fought tournament.

Saina Nehwal: Bronze medal in Badminton

Saina Nehwal earned India's first-ever Olympic medal in Badminton, securing a bronze in Women's singles. With this victory, she also became the second woman, after Malleswari, to win a medal at the grandest stage.

Yogeshwar Dutt: Bronze medal in Wrestling

Yogeshwar Dutt overcame injuries and fought through brilliantly in the men's 60kg freestyle wrestling to secure a bronze medal.

Mary Kom: Bronze medal in Boxing

In the debut of women's boxing at the Olympics, Mary Kom won a bronze in the flyweight (51kg) category, making her the first Indian woman boxer to achieve this milestone.

Vijay Kumar: Silver medal in Shooting

Vijay Kumar clinched silver in the men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, finishing behind Cuba's Leuris Pupo.

Read Also: Olympic Athletes to Watch in LA 2028 from India

2016-2024: Sustaining the momentum in India's modern Olympic era

India has consistently built upon its Olympic success since 2012, with athletes dominating in different categories of sports. The period from 2016 to 2024 has seen new talents emerge and solidify India's rise on the global stage.

Indian Women's batter Smriti Mandhana became the latest batter to score international centuries in all formats of the game. With her maiden T20I ton against England in Nottingham, Smriti has now become the sixth Indian and the first Indian woman batter to have the achievement. 

Read Also | Top Female Cricketers Who Are Making History

Smriti Mandhana played a sensational 112-run inning from just 62 balls, which included 15 fours and 3 sixes. This is also the highest score by any Indian Women player in T20Is. The previous best was Harmanpreet Kaur's 103 against New Zealand in 2018. 

🚨𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝟐𝟎𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐦𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚

1️⃣1️⃣2️⃣ Runs
6️⃣2️⃣ Balls

Smriti Mandhana lit up Nottingham with her maiden T20I ton, that too as the captain of the Indian cricket team. #ENGWvINDW #SmritiMandhana pic.twitter.com/WLSQwGi4SV

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) June 28, 2025

Earlier in the day, Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of the first T20I of the series as a precaution taken by the team after she suffered a head injury during the practice game against the ECB Select XI. Sneh Rana handed the debut cap to left-arm spinner N Shree Charani. 

Harleen Kaur also scored a quick-fire 43 from 23 balls, to help India score 210/5 in the first inning. 

Read Also | Most Partnership runs for India in all formats

Indian batters to score an international ton in all formats

Here are the Indian batters who have scored an international ton in all formats

1. Suresh Raina
2. Virat Kohli
3. Rohit Sharma
4. KL Rahul
5. Shubman Gill
6. Smriti Mandhana

The England Men's Cricket team selection panel announced England test squad for the upcoming second test against India. England are currently leading the five-test match series by 1-0 after winning the first test. The home side chased down the second-highest total of 372 at Headingly to get the lead. 

For the second test, they have brought in their star pacer Jofra Archer, who will be playing test cricket after a gap of 4 years. To prepare for the test return, Archer featured in a first-class game for Sussex.

The second test will start from 2nd July at Edgbaston. 

Read Also | Joe Root vs Sachin Tendulkar – Test Stats Compared: Can Root break Sachin's record

England squad for the second test against India

Ben Stokes (C), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.