Bridgetown (Barbados). India head coach Rahul Dravid breathed a sigh of relief after ending his tenure with the T20 World Cup title in Barbados on Saturday. Dravid, who was under fire for losing two consecutive ICC finals, the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup against Australia last year, contributed in his last assignment to break India’s more than a decade-long title drought.
In a thrilling encounter, India defeated South Africa by seven runs to win their second T20 World Cup trophy. After the win, Virat Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20. Commenting on his relationship with Rohit, Dravid said that he would like him more as a human being than as the captain of the team.
He said after the match, “I will remember him as a person, forget cricket, forget captaincy and everything else. I just hope we will still remain friends. I think the thing that impresses me the most in all this is what kind of person he is, what kind of respect he has. He has shown me what kind of care and commitment he has for the team, what kind of energy he has and he has never backed down from it.”
Dravid added, “So, for me, this is the person I will remember the most… he will be a great captain, he will be a great player, he will win trophies but I think this is the person I like the most.” The 51-year-old praised the fighting spirit of his boys and the way they fought back under difficult circumstances in the blockbuster encounter to establish themselves as the new T20 champions.
He said, “I have really been at a loss for words in the last few hours. I couldn’t be more proud of this team, the way we have fought through difficult situations. Even today I think it was a great testimony to the team… after losing three wickets in the first six overs, we were in that situation, but the boys kept fighting, they kept believing.”
He said, “You know, as a player, I was not lucky enough to win the trophy, but whenever I played I tried my best and it happens, it is part of the game.” It was a memorable moment for Dravid to achieve this victory with India after facing a forgettable defeat in the first round of the 2007 ODI World Cup under his leadership in the West Indies.
Dravid said, “I know there are many other players who have not been able to win the trophy. I was fortunate to be given the trophy, get the opportunity to coach, and I was fortunate that this group of boys made it possible for me to win the trophy and celebrate.”
He said, “Good feeling, but it’s not like I am aiming for some liberation, it’s just a job I was doing. I loved working, I loved working with Rohit and this team. It’s been a great journey and I have really enjoyed it.”
Tags: Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma, T20 World Cup, Team India
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 30, 2024, 18:15 IST