The T20 World Cup isn’t just for Rohit Sharma or his bunch of players to win. It’s Rahul Dravid’s too. For the head coach of the Indian team, whose term will officially be ending today with India’s final match of the World Cup, it could end in either a heartbreak or glory. Dravid has been with this set-up for almost three years and while we wish him best for his future endeavours, even The Wall knows an opportunity like this will not come again. To leave on a high, lifting the T20 World Cup trophy, seven months after coming close to being a World Champion.
Dravid was here in the West Indies… as captain 17 years ago… when India crashed out in the first-round of the 2007 World Cup. And cut to 2024, he is here again, hoping to go out on a high, an honour, an opportunity which very few Indian players and legends receive.
But being a true professional that he is, Dravid doesn’t want it to be centred around him, referring to the ‘Do it for Dravid’ campaign that’s taken social media by storm back in India. Dravid doesn’t like it and had no plan of entertaining it either as he had a candid chat with Star Sports leading up to the India vs South Africa mega final.
“It’s totally against who I am as a person. And totally against my values. You know, I don’t really believe in this ‘Do it for somebody’. I love that quote about somebody asking someone ‘Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?’ and he said, ‘I want to climb Mount Everest just because it’s there’. And why do we want to win this World Cup? Because it’s there,” said Dravid.
“It’s not for anyone, it’s not for anybody. It’s just there to win. Just want to play good cricket. All this ‘Do it for somebody’ is totally against who I am as a person and what I believe in, so I don’t want to talk about it and discuss it. If you can get that campaign removed, I’ll appreciate it.”
Whatever the outcome is in another few hours’ time, rest assured, Dravid would surely be missed in the Indian dressing room and as its head coach. Incoming coach Gautam Gambhir may go on to achieve some wonderful things with this team, but it will take some time before the void left by Dravid is filled. To take India to three ICC finals inside a year, winning the Asia Cup, beating Australia and England in gruelling Test series and making India the No.1 team in all formats is something not many coaches have had in their resume.
Dravid has hardly had a fairytale ending. In his last Test series, India were drubbed by Australia 0-4, and even though he made his first and last T20I game for India memorable by smashing a hat-trick of sixes, India lost the match. He came close on November, but it was snatched ruthlessly from him. Seven months later, he is here again, hoping India are a third time lucky.
“It is a good thing we have been consistently playing good cricket,” said Dravid. “We have been in finals in all three formats [Test, ODI, T20I] and credit goes to the players. If we play well and rub of the green goes (our way) we will surely win.”
