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Rahul Dravid
Image taken from Pinterest, lines by Dev Tyagi


One might note that sport speaks a universal language, transcending barriers of background, culture, and nationality, making it the ultimate unifier. Its power to bring people together in a shared experience is unparalleled, and perhaps it’s time to recognize this profound influence by adding sport as a category for the Nobel Prize.

Well, if this were to happen, the first recipient of the Nobel Prize in sports should be non-other than the most noble cricketer to ever step foot on the 22 yards in the much-admired Rahul Sharad Dravid.

A man who has not only mounted north of 24,000 international runs, but has also won hearts of millions around the globe with his gentleman like nature, calm demeanour and the uncanny ability to bring the best out of his team mates be it as a player, a captain or even as a coach.

Ask his fellow compatriots from his playing days or even the current crop in Indian cricket and they will whole heartedly agree.

Such is the stature of this Padma Bhushan awardee, and as he celebrates his 52nd birthday, we pay tribute to him by highlighting five key lessons one can learn from this exceptional player:

#1 – Unparalleled humility in a relentless age of arrogance

When one talks about the word humility, a name that instantly seems to increase our dopamine levels is that of Rahul Dravid.

Perhaps this name in the most quintessential sense comes with good measure in an age where everyone is seeking instant gratification in every task they undertake, furthering a certain sense of arrogance. 

For me, Dravid undoubtedly embodies humility, and a recent incident further reinforced this belief. 

As the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, he chose to take the same amount as his coaching staff in terms of compensation, despite leading the team to victory in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. This after BCCI wanted to pay him double for this coveted success albeit for Rahul Dravid, he firmly believed he was as good as his support staff and hence humbly declined the offer.

If this isn’t humility at its best, one should most definitely wonder what is?

#2 – Steadfast grit and perseverance in the face of adversity

The reflection of one’s true character is only depicted when they are challenged amid heaps of adversity. And to rise from these unrelenting depths, one needs to show grit and perseverance in equal measure.

Well, Rahul Dravid is one who over the years has unquestionably demonstrated grit and perseverance galore be it in the Eden encore that he exhibited with VVS Laxman which was crucial to India winning the Test series against Australia way back in 2001 when all seemed to go south.

Or the majestic 233 he scored in the face of adversity in the Adelaide Test in 2003 when Australia had piled a mammoth 556 batting first with India reeling at 85 for 4, which conceivably was crucial to the Men in Blue ultimately winning the match by four wickets, their first Test victory down under since the 1980-81 season.

Perhaps these were just some outstanding innings out of the many this astute tactician has played over the years for whom it has always been about finding a way to create opportunity when faced with adversity.

#3 – Rock solid leadership to rally everyone  

When one speaks about leadership, it’s not only about winning trophies or having unparalleled accolades as a leader but also about setting a culture where everyone can thrive.

When Rahul Dravid was the captain of the Indian cricket team, for me he was possibly one of the best leaders going around. Why do I say this?

Well, the great man not only nurtured a young team boasting upcoming talents, the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan and Suresh Raina to name a few, but also inculcated strong leadership qualities in the future captain of India in M.S.Dhoni under whose tutelage India would go on to win two titles, the World T20 in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011.

Also, as coach, Dravid recently made India ascend to its second T20 World Cup glory which perhaps is again testament to the legend’s leadership ability.

#4 – The complete team man showing oodles of team spirit

Rahul Dravid has always kept the interests of the team before his individual interests with a case in point example being way back in 2002, when under the capable leadership of Saurav Ganguly and John Wright, he donned the wicket keeping responsibilities despite not being a natural keeper.

Saurav wanted to strengthen India’s batting order by playing an additional batter and requested Rahul to taking the keeping duties since India at the time did not have an accomplished keeper bat.

Dravid obliged, as a young Mohammed Kaif was added to the Indian batting order and this paid dividends as India mounted a rather famous journey to the 2003 ODI World Cup final in South Africa albeit falling short at the last mile. If it wasn’t for Dravid willing to be the complete team man, possibly things could have been a lot different.

Perhaps a lesson here for each and every one of us on how to always keep collective interests before individual interests to become the complete team player.

#5 – Kindness that flows from the heart

Dravid’s kindness is reflected not just in his on-field demeanour, but in his actions off the field as well.

Whether it’s offering guidance to young players, taking time to mentor and nurture talent, or even stepping up for charitable causes like the Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) and the UNICEF Supporter and AIDS Awareness Campaign, his nicety transcends the boundaries of sport, making him an everyday hero.

So as the man adds to his much-acclaimed wisdom by becoming a year wiser, we wish the legend a very happy birthday with the hope of many more to come. Nothing but respect to the unwavering wall of Indian cricket, an inspiration on the world stage.

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