Former India cricketer and head coach Rahul Dravid, present to witness the final of TNPL 2024 between Lyca Kovai Kings and Dindigul Dragons at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, August 5, took a nostalgic journey down memory lane. Known for his gentle nature and impeccable cricketing acumen, Dravid revealed some of the most treasured memories associated with the iconic stadium.
Dravid had a light-hearted chat during the game and recalled his early days of cricket when he used to play league cricket with friends. He remembered the exciting Test matches against great teams like Australia and England, saying how special the memories are. He also brought up his milestone of 10,000 Test runs, attained at this venue itself, that really cemented his place as one of the all-time greats of cricket.
“Playing league cricket here would be the fondest because I played with friends and really enjoyed myself playing league cricket here. Of course, there were some fantastic Test matches. I got my 10,000th run in Test cricket here at this ground. Played some fantastic Test matches against Australia and England. Winning the World Cup game against Australia also comes to my mind. There are a lot of memories that come to my mind at this ground,” Rahul Dravid shared in an interview during the TNPL final.
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Rahul Dravid also took the opportunity to commend state leagues like TNPL and KPL for providing the opportunity to young talent to play in front of keen crowds. He also specifically praised veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who had a big part to play in Dindigul Dragons’ victory in the final.
To the Wall who took us to the top! 🤩@TNCACricket @Sastika_R #TNPL2024 #NammaOoruAatam #NammaOoruNammaGethu pic.twitter.com/crSogHmObM
— TNPL (@TNPremierLeague) August 4, 2024
“These leagues like TNPL and KPL have been terrific as they provide a lot of great opportunities to many young players. Look at this kind of crowd; for these young boys to be able to play in front of this crowd is just phenomenal. So, well done to the TNCA for organizing this in such a spectacular fashion.”. Good to see some of the young guys rubbing their hands on international cricket, but also wonderful to see that old veteran Ash can still contribute and win games for his team, he added.
Ashwin was simply outstanding in the final. His 52 off 46 balls, hitting one four and three sixes, helped his team chase down the target of 130 in 18.2 overs. It was further substantiated by his tight bowling spell of 0/13 in four overs.
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Hence, he was adjudged Player of the Match quite rightfully. In the tournament as a whole, Ashwin was an outstanding performer who turned out to be the third-highest run-getter for his side, making 252 from nine innings at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 151.80 with three fifties. He also picked up nine wickets from ten innings at an average of 27.55 and an economy of 6.92.
