Rahul Dravid spoke about India’s loss in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup final and then the 2024 T20 World Cup 2024 win. Dravid was the Indian team’s head coach when both things happened and his tenure came to an end with India triumphing in the Caribbean with the ICC trophy.
The Rohit Sharma-led side defeated South Africa by seven runs in the final in June, giving India its first ICC trophy since 2013. Dravid did not renew his contract owing to family and personal obligations, yet he will be remembered as one of the greatest head coaches in national team history.
Dravid’s journey to the ICC trophy was not simple. In 2023, India lost both the WTC final and the ODI World Cup, with the latter being the most painful. India lost the ODI World Cup final to Australia by six wickets in Ahmedabad.
Speaking at the CEAT Cricket Awards, Dravid said that the Indian bowlers were able to beat Head about 15 times but he did not touch a single ball, demonstrating that a team requires luck occasionally.
“I remember whatever it was, we beat Travis Head’s bat 15 times — he didn’t touch a single ball. You know, things can go your way sometimes,” Rahul Dravid stated.
India had batted first in the ICC World Cup 2023 final and posted 240 runs. Then India bowlers picked three early wickets to give Australia a scare, but then Travis Head hammered 137 runs and took Australia to a 6-wicket win and a sixth World Cup title.
You need a little bit of luck: Rahul Dravid on India’s T20 World Cup 2024 win
Rahul Dravid then talked about the Indian team’s win in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados. India was defending 171 runs which they had scored thanks to Virat Kohli’s 76 runs. In reply, South Africa did well and needed 30 runs in the last 30 balls.
Dravid highlighted the nervous moments during the T20 World Cup final when David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen were at the crease. He praised the team’s performance and Rohit’s composure under pressure, but he also highlighted a vital point. Suryakumar Yadav’s spectacular catch at the boundary eliminated David Miller and turned the game in India’s favor.
“I have had time to reflect on it. I have had time to reflect on a lot of things we have done. You do realise, sometimes, you have to do a lot of these things, you have to do the process, you have to do everything right. Sometimes, it’s the skill, but you also need someone who can keep their foot within one inch of a line (referring to Suryakumar Yadav’s catch). Sometimes at the end of the day, you need a little bit of luck,” he said.
Dravid voiced hope about the future of Indian cricket. He believes that with players like Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav at the helm, the team will continue to excel on a global scale.
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