A tribute to cricket’s gentleman…

By Abhishek Haridasan

The T20 World Cup 2024 will see the last of Rahul Dravid as the coach of the Indian cricket team. Winning the coveted trophy was a goal that Rohit Sharma and the team had set their eyes on, and they managed to pull off a victory for the ages on June 29, 2024.

During his stint as coach, the team had faced heartbreaks at critical World Cup games and fans were beginning to wonder if they would ever see more trophies for Indian cricket!

It finally happened and the rest is history. One could ask why was #DoItForDravid trending on social media and what did it mean for the current crop of players and fans.

Turns out, it meant everything. For those of you who have never seen the man in action or witnessed the joy he gave to fans on foreign soil, Dravid was and is one of the most respected players who played the sport. He was a team man and was ready to walk on fire for the team!

When Dravid cracked a crisp drive or played out innings to save his team, the world applauded and some of his exploits on the ground cannot be matched.

Having never won a World Cup trophy in his playing days, despite ruling the one-day and test cricket games for years, watching him turn into a teenager after getting his hands on the T20 World Cup was priceless.

A fairytale end for a player and coach who gave it his all, and made the team believe that India could be world beaters. Dravid has gained massive respect over the years and this trophy is the perfect icing on the cake.

Thank you, Dravid. We hope you enjoy your time off, after a successful stint as the coach of the Indian Men’s Cricket team. Your contribution to the game has been immense and the game can only get better with you around it, in some form or the other.

Salute to Dravid, and his sportsmanship! India and the world stand and applaud your gamesmanship.