The great Rahul Dravid was not his usual restrained self after India’s T20 World Cup glory and couldn’t thank his wards enough for helping him live what he “wasn’t lucky as a player” to experience — the heady feeling of being a world champion. With head coach Dravid watching the action from the dugout, skipper Rohit Shama marshalled his resources beautifully as India held their nerve to eke out a seven-run victory over South Africa in a thrilling finale and win the T20 World Cup to end an 11-year ICC title drought.
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“I really have felt short of words over the last few hours. I just could not be more proud of this team, the way we had to fight difficult situations,” Dravid said after the triumph.
“Even today I think it was a great testimony… for the team to lose three wickets in the first six overs, to be in the kind of position we were in, but the boys just kept fighting, they kept believing.
You know, as a player, I was not lucky enough to win a trophy, but I tried my best whenever I played and it happens, it’s part of sports,” the 51-year-old added.
The triumph in the Caribbean is also a sort of redemption for Dravid, under whose captaincy India endured a forgettable first-round exit in the 2007 ODI World Cup in this part of the world.
But Dravid said he doesn’t believe in words or things like redemption, playing down his contribution as the team’s head coach.
“Firstly, there is no redemption. I am not one of those guys who thinks about redemption and those kind of things. There are a lot of other players I know who have not been able to win a trophy.
“I was lucky to be given the opportunity to coach, and I was lucky that this bunch of boys made it possible for me to be able to win a trophy and celebrate.
Nice feeling, but it’s not like I am aiming for some redemption, it’s just a job that I was doing. I loved doing the job, I loved working with Rohit and this team. It’s been a great journey and I have really enjoyed it.”
Dravid, whose tenure as India coach ends now, called the title triumph the memory of a lifetime.
“Just phenomenal, just lovely to be a part of a dressing room like this. It’s a memory of a lifetime for me, so I am thankful and grateful to the team and the support staff who have made this possible.”
Dravid, one of the finest batsmen and ambassadors in the game’s history, said he is also not much into things like legacy.
“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.”
His fantastic equation with Rohit went a long way in building the kind of atmosphere needed for a team to succeed at the top level. Both have tremendous respect for each other and Rohit dedicated the victory to Dravid.
Dravid said he will miss Rohit the person most.
“I will miss him as a person forget the cricket, forget the captain and everything. I just hope we will still be friends.
“I think what’s really impressed me in all of the these is the kind of person that he is, the kind of respect he has shown me, the kind of care and commitment he has had for the team, the kind of energy, and he has never backed down from it,” he said.
“So, for me, it’s the person that I will remember the most…he will be a great captain, he will be a great player, he will win trophies but I think it’s the person that I am most fond of,” Dravid was full of admiration for the captain.
VIDEO | Head Coach Rahul Dravid signed off on a high after lifting the T20 World Cup. He says he’ll miss the captain Rohit Sharma as a person.
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