Life completes a full circle for Rahul Dravid as departing India coach leads team to glory in T20 World Cup
Life completes a full circle for Dravid as India coach wins world title, alas!
Rahul Dravid has seen it all in cricket, perhaps more disappointments than moments of ecstasy, but that didn’t stop him from putting his hands on a world title as a coach, if not a player. That dream came true in Barbados on Saturday (June 29), a part of the Caribbean Islands, where under Dravid’s leadership in 2007, India got knocked out of the 50-over World Cup in group stages, and 17 years later, Dravid helped India lift their second T20 World Cup trophy in the same region.
Seen in a different super-celebratory avatar like never before, Dravid cried, along withRohit, Kohli, Pandyaandmillions of fans worldwide, but put up the humblest face while addressing what it meant to win a world title. With the monkey off his back, Dravid talked about how cricket is a great leveller and how lucky he feels to be part of this winning unit.
ALSO READ:PM Modi speaks to Team India after T20 World Cup win, lauds Rohit, Virat over massive effort
"As a player, I was not lucky enough to win a trophy, but I gave my best...I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity to coach a team; I was lucky that this bunch of boys made it possible for me to be able to win this trophy. It is a great feeling; it is not like I was aiming for some redemption, it was the job I was doing...it has been a great journey," Dravid said after India’s seven-run win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final.
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Dravid leaves on a high
Meanwhile, Dravid will bow out with his head held high, as with the conclusion of this tournament in the Americas, his contract as India’s head coach expires.
During his stint, India tasted tremendous success across formats by reaching the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) and the 50-over World Cup at home last year, though they lost to Australia on both occasions. However, India won the Asia Cup 2023 by ten wickets against Sri Lanka.
More so, under his tutelage, the Indian Team became the first team to win a T20 World Cup without suffering a single defeat in the competition.
With Dravid departing, the BCCI will name a new coach in the coming days. Former India opener and two-time World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner to replace Dravid as the new head coach. His contract would last till December 31st, 2027.
(With inputs from agencies)
