Rahul Dravid, a legend in the world of cricket, has experienced significant highs and lows in his illustrious career, especially when it comes to world championships. While India was declared joint-winners with Sri Lanka in the 2002 Champions Trophy, Dravid’s World Cup journey has been fraught with disappointment. In the 2003 ODI World Cup, India reached the final only to be defeated by Australia.
The 2007 World Cup saw India, under Dravid’s captaincy, bow out in the group stages, a crushing blow for the team and fans alike. Rahul Dravid’s long-time friend and fellow cricketing great, Sachin Tendulkar, achieved World Cup glory in 2011—a tournament Dravid could not partake in.
Rahul Dravid retired from international cricket in 2012 and continued to play in the IPL, but even there, he couldn’t clinch the title. Transitioning into coaching, Dravid found success with the U19 Indian team, guiding them to victory, but replicating that success with the senior team proved elusive.
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As the head coach of the senior Indian team, Dravid led them to the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup, where they were defeated by England. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, India were strong contenders but lost to Australia in the final. The ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 marks Dravid’s final stint as head coach of the Indian team, and the pressure is on to secure that elusive world championship.
Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has publicly urged the current Indian team to rally and win the trophy in honor of Dravid. “We played the 2011 World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar. So, this T20 World Cup can be for Rahul Dravid. At least as a coach, he gets to win the World Cup and get the badge of being a World Cup winner, which he didn’t get as a player,” Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
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India is set to face England in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Guyana. The winner of this match will take on South Africa in the final, scheduled to be held in Barbados on June 29. For Dravid, this tournament represents the final chance to add a World Cup win to his storied career, and for the team, a chance to honor a cricketing legend.
