On Thursday, former India skipper Rahul Dravid officially became the 87th player to be drafted into the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Hall of Fame. Earlier this year in July, it was announced that Dravid would become the fifth Indian cricketer from his country to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. Bishan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, and Anil Kumble are the other Indians who are already members.
Dravid was honored by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram before the commencement of the fifth and the final One-Day International between India and West Indies. He was presented a memento by fellow inductee and legendary Sunil Gavaskar.
Rahul Dravid becomes the 5th Indian to be inducted in the @ICC Hall of Fame. Congratulations to the legend on joining a list of all-time greats across generations. pic.twitter.com/RAyQ8KrtWR
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2018
In his acceptance speech, Rahul said, “It is a matter of great honor to be named by the ICC in the Cricket Hall of Fame. To find your honor in a list of all-time greats across generations is something one only dreams of while setting out on a cricket career and the kind of recognition that would delight any player. I’m thankful to my near and dear ones as well as players I have played with and against, coaches and officials who have backed me over the years and helped me develop as a cricketer. I would also like to thank the KSCA and the BCCI for all the support over the years and the ICC for recognizing my achievements and picking me in this group of Hall of Fame inductees.”
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Dravid scored 13,288 runs in 164 Tests with 36 centuries, and 10,889 runs in 344 ODIs with 12 centuries, during his career. He was also a brilliant slip fielder and finished his Test career in 2012 with 210 catches, which is a world record. Dravid was named ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Player of the Year in 2004.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said, “The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame is our way of honoring the greats of our game. Only the very best players in the world are recognized for their contribution to cricket in this way and I would like to congratulate Rahul, Ricky, and Claire who are wonderful additions to the list of cricketing luminaries in the Hall of Fame.”
