It’s fascinating when a reserved, ever-calm personality lets out his raw emotions without inhibition. Rahul Dravid screaming his lungs out after being handed over the T20 World Cup trophy by Virat Kohli was a sight to behold for that very reason. It was not the first instance of Dravid letting loose. He has done that in the past. But never as a world champion. Never with the World Cup in hand. He had three attempts as a player and three as a coach. His sixth attempt, which became successful, would not have materialised if it wasn’t for Rohit Sharma.
Dravid was not ready to extend his contract after India suffered a heartbreaking loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19 last year. His contract was over and Dravid was not keen to continue. But it was captain Rohit Sharma’s phone call that changed everything.
Suryakumar Yadav revealed that after winning the T20 World Cup, Dravid thanked Rohit for that phone call in November last year that changed his mind. The former India captain, along with his support staff, agreed to stay on till this year’s T20 World Cup to have one final crack at an ICC title and it proved to be a grand success.
“In the end, he (Dravid) came and thanked Rohit and said, ‘Thank you, Rohit, for that phone call in November’, because he didn’t want to continue after (India’s loss in the final of) the 50-over World Cup but Rohit and Jay sir (BCCI secretary Jay Shah) convinced him to stay,” Suryakumar told The Indian Express.
The Rohit-Dravid combination has been instrumental in making India world champions after 13 years. In the last two World Cups, India have won 18 matches out of 20 and lost only once – the ODI final against Australia – while one match in this T20 World Cup was a no result due to a washout. They also reached the WTC finals last year, making India the most consistent team across formats.
After winning the cup, Rohit said Dravid deserved the trophy more than anyone else. “He – more than any one of us, I think he deserved that trophy. What he has done for Indian cricket for the past 20-25 years, I think this was the only thing that was left in his cabinet. I am very happy from all of us on behalf of the entire team that we could actually do this for him. You saw how proud he was and how excited he was. Really grateful to the occasion for this to happen as well,” Rohit said.
Rohit and Virat Kohli also lifted Dravid and tossed him up in the air during the victory celebrations at the Kensington Oval in Barbados following India’s nerve-wracking victory against South Africa in the final on June 29.
Surya will cherish Dravid’s celebration, Rohit eating grass
Surya, who took a match-defining catch of David Miller in the last over of South Africa’s chase, said the two most defining memories from the World Cup win will be Dravid’s trophy celebration and captain Rohit eating grass from the pitch.
“That 30-second clip, when he took the trophy in his hand and screamed… that moment when he expressed his happiness. I think I will save that clip for life,” Surya added. “The way he (Rohit) fell down, ate some grass off the ground and tasted some mud on the pitch. These moments will stay with me for a long time.”
