With life coming full circle for Rahul Dravid in the Caribbean, the outgoing head coach, in his admission, is jobless now. Dravid was the captain of the young MS Dhoni-starrer side that suffered a premature exit from the 50-over ICC World Cup hosted by former champions – the West Indies- in 2007. Nicknamed The Wall, Dravid was featured in three 50-over World Cups, but the batting legend never won the ICC title as a player.
Seventeen years after the heartbreaking exit from the 2007 World Cup, Dravid finally got his dues for being one of the greatest servants of Indian cricket. Dravid-coached India outclassed Aiden Markram’s South Africa by seven runs in the final-over thriller to secure its second T20 World Cup title. After India’s historic win over the Proteas in Barbados, the outgoing head coach joked about being jobless from next week.
‘I will be unemployed’: Dravid after India’s World Cup win
“I will be able to move on quickly from this win, 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 think that’s what life is all about,” Dravid told news agency PTI. Dravid earlier confirmed that the T20 World Cup 2024 was his last assignment as the head coach of Rohit’s Team India. Dravid replaced Ravi Shasrti as India’s head coach after the 2021 World Cup. Dravid-coached India contested three ICC finals in 12 months. Team India also lifted the Asia Cup trophy under Dravid’s watch last year.
India lost two ICC finals to Australia during Dravid’s coaching stint. India recorded a perfect 10 in 2023 but Rohit and Co. suffered their first defeat of the ICC event in the final against Australia. A year later, Team India became the first team to win the men’s T20 World Cup without losing a single match.
Dravid is not a legacy person
“I am not a legacy person, I am not looking for legacies, I just feel glad that we could give our best. I think I have been lucky to have been working with an exceptionally professional bunch, intelligent bunch of coaches and other support staff who have made it possible to create a fantastic environment. I am glad that a bit of luck has resulted in this trophy. I couldn’t be happier for this team, and I couldn’t be happier for so many of the Indian fans who are coming out to these games,” Dravid said.
