Rahul Dravid’s time with Team India came to an end on a high note when captain Rohit Sharma and his team won the T20 World Cup. This not only signalled the end of Dravid’s term but also added a World Cup victory to his illustrious cricket career, albeit one that did not involve playing. In fact, Dravid was part of the Indian team that entered the 2003 ODI World Cup final, but lost to Australia.
Upon the victory, Rahul Dravid opened up on his experience leading the Men in Blue and said it was an amazing trip as India raised the coveted T20 World Cup trophy for the second time. “As a player, I was not lucky enough to win a trophy but I tried my best whenever I played. I was lucky to get the opportunity to coach the team, I was lucky that this bunch of boys made it possible for me to be able to win this trophy. It’s a great nice feeling but it doesn’t feel like I have done some redemption, it was just the job that I was doing. I love working with Rohit and his team, it was a great journey and I really enjoyed it,” Dravid said.
India defeated South Africa by seven runs in the final match of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados. The final match of the marquee event was Dravid’s last game for the Men in Blue as their head coach.
Dravid on Rohit’s retirement
Dravid on Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20 said that the skipper impressed him for being the kind of person he is. The former cricketer added that he was impressed to see Rohit Sharma’s ‘commitment’. “I will miss him as a person, what impresses me is the kind of person he is, the respect he has shown me, the kind of care and commitment he had for the team, the kind of energy he had to spend, and he never backed down. For me, it will be the person I will miss the most,” he added.
With 4231 runs in 159 games, Rohit is the format’s best scorer going out. He also owns the record for most hundreds (five) in T20 internationals. He has won two T20 World Cups, first in 2007 and the current one in 2024 as captain.
(with inputs from ANI)