India head coach Rahul Dravid has always been known for his humility and preference for staying out of the spotlight. Despite his best efforts, Dravid has often found himself at the center of attention, both during his illustrious playing career and in his post-retirement role as a coach. As one of the greatest batters in cricket history, his contributions have been monumental, and his transition to coaching has been marked by significant successes at both the junior and senior levels.
Dravid’s playing career saw him achieve numerous accolades, but a World Cup victory eluded him. However, he fulfilled this aspiration by guiding the India U19 team to a World Cup trophy in 2018. He came close to replicating this success with the senior team during the 2023 ODI World Cup, where India narrowly missed out on the title, losing in the final.
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As India prepares to face South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup in Barbados, Dravid is once again on the brink of achieving World Cup glory. This tournament marks Dravid’s final assignment as the head coach of the men’s cricket team, after which he plans to step down. In light of this, a social media trend has emerged under the hashtag #DoItForDravid, urging the team to win the World Cup as a farewell gift to the cricketing legend.
“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” – Rahul Dravid #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/eMtpH89egJ
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 28, 2024
True to his nature, Dravid is not particularly fond of this trend. He believes in focusing on the game and not on individual accolades or sentiments. “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,” Rahul Dravid told Star Sports.
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Dravid’s motivation for wanting to win the World Cup is straightforward: he wants to win it because it is an opportunity that exists. “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’,” he said.
“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,” he added. Dravid’s pragmatic and focused approach underscores his commitment to the sport and his desire to achieve success purely for the challenge and honor of the game.
