Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin
Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin, India spinner, has shared his verdict on the ongoing #DoitforDravid social media campaign. Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the Indian team’s head coach will come to an end today after the India v South Africa T20 World Cup 2024 final. The summit encounter will be held in Barbados on June 29.

Under Dravid’s guidance, India has had a tremendous run across forms but has yet to win an ICC championship. Ahead of his departure, a social media campaign is running for Dravid, urging Team India to offer him a memorable farewell by winning the T20 World Cup.

The #DoItForDravid campaign has received a lot of attention ahead of the final versus the Proteas.

Reacting to the trend, Dravid played down the narrative, saying that it was against his values. The former India captain insisted he wants to win the T20 World Cup for the nation.

“I just want to play good cricket and yeah, doing it for someone 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. I don’t really believe in this ‘Do it for somebody’. I love that quote about somebody asking somebody else, ‘Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?’ and he says ‘I want to climb Mount Everest because it’s there’. I want to win this World Cup because it’s there. It’s not for anyone, it’s not for anybody, it’s just there to win,” Dravid told Star Sports.

Worst thing that can happen for a healthy team environment: Ravichandran Ashwin on #DoitforDravid Trend

In response to his words, senior Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin praised Dravid for rejecting the narrative. Ashwin noted that creating storylines for an individual in a team sport can break the atmosphere in the locker room.

“Narratives of building it up for someone in a team sport is the worst thing that can happen to a healthy team environment. I know this man really well and despite being offered the narrative, he turns it down in a classy manner. Let’s fight once more,”  Ravichandran Ashwin reacted to a video on X.

Notably, Rahul Dravid failed to win a World Cup during his playing days. He came close to lifting the ODI World Cup crown in 2003, but India lost the final to Australia.

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin Doesn’t See Virat Kohli Batting At 3 In T20 World Cup Final