The legendary Rahul Dravid looked as composed as ever after India’s T20 World Cup triumph and thanked his disciples who helped him experience what “he wasn’t fortunate enough to have as a player” – the exhilarating feeling of being a world champion. While head coach Dravid watched the action from the dugout, skipper Rohit Sharma made the best of his resources as India secured a seven-run win over South Africa in a thrilling final to win the T20 World Cup and end an 11-year ICC title drought.
After the win, Dravid said, “I am literally at a loss for words in the last few hours. I cannot be more proud of this team than I am of the fact that we have faced such tough situations.”
“Even today I think it was a great example… the team lost three wickets in the first six overs, despite the situation we were in, the players kept fighting, they kept the faith.
“You know, as a player I was not fortunate enough to win trophies but whenever I played, I tried my best and it happens, it’s part of the game,” the 51-year-old said.
The win on Caribbean soil is also a form of redemption for Dravid, under whose captaincy India had made a first-round exit from the 2007 ODI World Cup in this part of the world.
But Dravid said he doesn’t believe in words or things like absolution, downplaying his contribution as the team’s head coach.
“First of all, there is no redemption. I am not one of those people who thinks about redemption and things like that. There are many other players I know who haven’t won trophies.
“I was lucky to have the opportunity to coach, and I was lucky to have this group of boys who made it possible for me to win trophies and celebrate.
“It feels good but it’s not like I am trying to compensate for anything, it’s just a job I was doing. I loved doing this job, I loved working with Rohit and this team. It’s been a great journey and I have really enjoyed it.” Dravid, whose tenure as India coach is coming to an end now, called the title win a memory of a lifetime.
“It’s amazing, it’s great to be part of such a dressing room. It’s a memory of a lifetime for me, so I’m thankful to the team and the support staff who made it possible.” Dravid, one of the greatest batsmen and ambassadors in the history of the game, said he wasn’t much interested in things like legacy.
“I am not a legacy person, I am not looking for a legacy, I am just happy that we could give our best. I feel I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with exceptionally professional people, intelligent coaches and other support staff who made it possible to create a great atmosphere.
“I am happy that luck has brought me this trophy. I am very happy for this team and for the Indian fans who come to watch these games.”
His great equation with Rohit helped a lot in creating the atmosphere required for the team’s success at the top level. Both have immense respect for each other and Rohit credited Dravid for the victory.
Dravid said that he will miss Rohit the most.
“I will miss him as a person, forget cricket, forget captaincy and all that. I just hope we will still be friends.”
“I think what has impressed me the most in all of this is the kind of person he is, the kind of respect he has shown me, his care and commitment to the team, his energy, and he never backs down from that,” he said.
Dravid praised the captain and said, “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.”
Video | Head coach Rahul Dravid bid a happy farewell after winning the T20 World Cup. He said that he will miss captain Rohit Sharma.
“I will miss him (Rohit Sharma) as a person. Forget cricket and captaincy, I will miss him. Hopefully we will still be friends. I think… pic.twitter.com/YX5JFoS5lU
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 30, 2024
He said the trophy was the result of two years of hard work and planning, and refused to limit it to three weeks of excellent cricket.
He said, “This is a journey of more than two years, this is not just a journey for this T20 World Cup, building this team, the kind of skills we wanted, the players we wanted, discussions on these started when I started work in September 2021.
“The balance that we wanted in the team, two years of hard work, it’s not just the result of this World Cup, I think it culminated in this World Cup, it all came together on a beautiful afternoon in Barbados,” Dravid said.
On a lighter note, he said, “I will move on from this win pretty quickly, next week I will be unemployed (laughs). I don’t want to think too far ahead, but yes, I hope I will be able to move on. I guess that’s life.” Dravid expressed optimism about the future of Indian cricket and said the team will achieve a lot of success in the years to come.
He said, “Today’s players are a great talent in Indian cricket. Their confidence, their energy, they are at a different level right now.
He said, “We have been trying to win an ICC trophy for a long time and I am hopeful that they will carry forward this confidence and help Indian cricket win many more trophies in the next five-six years.”
Dravid said, “The ability and talent that these boys have is tremendous. There were times when we felt that despite giving our best, we could not win any major trophy. But today I can say with full confidence that they will continue their good work and win more trophies in the future.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article
