Behind “The Wall,” Rahul Dravid is a gentleman

Introduction

Back in 1996, a lad from Karnataka began playing for India. He debuted in a Test match against Lord’s in June of that same year. A quiet and unassuming member of the Marathi community, he spent over 16 years as an Indian cricket player. This article explains Rahul Dravid‘s unintentional self-portrayal as someone who dislikes attention and highlights his greatness as a human being.

A team-man

Rahul appeared to be using batting advice straight out of a cricket textbook. His batting style in Test matches earned him the nickname “The Wall,” and he frequently prevented team India from losing. What distinguished him was his “team-first approach.” In the 2003 Cricket World Cup, his versatility as a wicketkeeper enabled the men in blue to establish balance on the batting side and progress all the way to the World Cup final.

Rahul Dravid was requested to coach the U19 cricket squad by the BCCI after he announced his retirement from international cricket in 2012.

In February 2018, the team defeated the Australian U19 side in the World Cup thanks to the disciplined coaching style of the 1999 Cricket World Cup top scorer.

The cricket governing body, BCCI, gave the players and staff monetary incentives following their World Cup victory. Reports in The Indian Express state that Dravid asked for a reduction in his excess compensation and sought that the BCCI provide the other supporting staff members an equal portion of his own. Later, the BCCI granted Dravid’s request and made sure that each of the other employees earned Rs 25 lakh.

His off-field conduct

In January 2017, the former India captain was nominated by the University of Bangalore for an honorary doctorate. As per reports, Rahul Dravid declined the offer from the University and wished that he would be happy to receive it through academic research in sports. The denial to the degree did not show his arrogance but his uncompromising adherence to his principles off the field as well.

According to reports in The Indian Express, Dravid was at the ACA Central Zone Academy in Andhra Pradesh in 2017. While interacting with young cricketers, Rahul said that people who learn to fail well will eventually succeed and make it to the top. Dravid stressed the fact that cricket is about sportsmanship and team spirit. The game is all about partnership, helping and supporting each other, friendships, and growing together. According to the gentleman, one should not be afraid of failure and should not get carried away by success.

A person with a sense of honesty

Another example is when the former all-time great batter spoke in December 2017 in Bengaluru at the Foundation Conclave. According to NDTV Sports, Dravid provided some figures to demonstrate his qualifications to discuss failure. Dravid continued, stating that he batted for India 604 times and in 410 of those innings he failed to get 50 runs. Rahul saw himself as a person who experienced far more failures than successes.

One can readily detect Dravid’s transparency and honesty as a guy, even after he achieved some impressive game stats and continued to view himself as a failure. It is admirable that the former Test hitter displayed such sincerity.

Understanding responsibility

The incredible voyage of team India, led by head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma, was observed by cricket fans worldwide. The squad went undefeated and advanced to the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup final. Following his team’s defeat in the championship match, Dravid faced sports media in the post-match press conference and graciously responded to their enquiries.

A Person with a quality of compassion

The Indian team won the just finished T20 World Cup 2024; they were the only team to go the entire tournament without losing. After the Indian team won the World Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) awarded prize money to every member of the team, including Rs 5 crore to the team’s departing head coach. Dravid politely declined the additional Rs 2.5 crore, according to TOI (The Times of India) reports, preferring to accept a split of the winning bonus equally with the rest of his team. The renowned athlete once more demonstrated his principles.

“In a world where ‘come-look-at-me’ is an illness and paid PR is an acceptable way of life, Rahul Dravid makes humility look cool,” popular cricket pundit Harsha Bhogle tweeted on social media site X in July 2024. Achieving greatness and allowing it to depend solely on us is what we should strive for in our line of work.

Anand Mahindra, a well-known business magnate, also thanked Dravid by tweeting about him from his account on platform X. “The mark of a man…,” writes Mahindra That’s what you call a role model, right?

Conclusion-

We have followed the path of the previous great hitter from India, who has always prioritised his team and demonstrated his humility both on and off the pitch to the cricketing community. His decision to turn down an extra reward or honorary degree shows what a classy and honest man he is. His opinions on the spirit of the game, as well as his perceptions of his achievements and numbers, reveal a great deal about the kind man he was and the way he treated his teammates.

Even now, he still sees himself as a failure despite ranking among the top 5 run scorers, and he remains grounded in order to understand Mr. Dependable’s character. One of the traits of the former Test specialist was his methodical batting, which may have something to do with his discipline and obedience.

Also Read: Before the Bangladesh Tests, Sarfaraz Khan said, – ‘I have zero expectations, I’ll be ready if the opportunity arises’ 

We got a peek of “A gentleman behind the wall” when we saw the departing coach quietly bid farewell to his position and his players without any drama following the Indian team’s victorious World Cup run in 2024.