New Delhi: Team India departing head coach Rahul Dravid was greeted with immense respect and applause all around the Wankhede Stadium as he walked up to the podium to speak as the Men in Blue’s head coach for one last time. Rohit Sharma and Co. arrived in Delhi on Thursday morning after a long flight from Barbados and after a busy schedule in the national capital, flew to Mumbai for the felicitation ceremony organised by the BCCI.
During the ceremony, the Men in Blue had the time of their lives as they danced their hearts out with speeches following from the team seniors. Skipper Rohit Sharma first expressed himself having arrived to such a grand reception and was followed by his outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid who was called upon and received a warm welcome by the fans in the stands as they cheered for “Mr. Dependable.”
With his trademark calming and relaxed demeanour, Dravid expressed what the World Cup means to him and how he had already decided to quit after India lost the ODI World Cup 2023 to Australia. He notably shared an anecdote that he already talked about in one of BCCI’s earlier videos, this time detailing it when asked by the host of the event. Rohit had urged Dravid to extend his stay after the heartbreaking defeat.
“Rohit called and said, ‘Rahul, let’s have another crack’. I think that was the best phone call of my life,” Dravid said with a beaming yet emotional smile. His coaching tenure too had come to an end after the culmination of the 2023 ODI World Cup but he received an extension along with his coaching staff till the end of the T20 World Cup. Seven months later, the Dravid-helmed side became the first team ever to win a T20 World Cup without losing a single game in the tournament.
Watch his full speech here –
Couldn’t have asked for anything more – Dravid
“This is a fantastic note to sign off on. I am going to miss all this love. What we have been seeing today and what I have heard since the win shows how India makes cricket brilliant. These boys are like family. The amount of work these boys have done (is incredible) and they are constantly looking to get better. As coaches and support staff, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. We are privileged to have been able to coach this team,” Dravid further stressed.
The felicitation was preceded by a victory parade in an open bus that was customised solely for the World Cup-winning Indian team that started from Nariman Point and went through the thousands of fans present at the Marine Drive to watch their heroes flaunt the World Cup trophy. The parade ended at the Wankhede Stadium where the felicitation ceremony took place.
Rahul Dravid bid farewell to Indian cricket as senior men’s team head coach, ending his stint with a T20 World Cup win and gave one final speech before departing during their felicitation at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
