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Former Team India head coach Rahul Dravid recently shared the emotions behind his celebration following the Men in Blue’s T20 World Cup 2024 final victory.
Dravid admitted that he usually aimed to keep his emotions in check as a coach and noted that his exuberant celebration was spontaneous and unplanned.
India clinched a seven-run victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final held in Barbados on June 29, ending an 11-year ICC trophy drought under Rohit Sharma’s leadership.
This win marked Dravid’s final assignment as head coach and was his first ICC trophy in that role. Despite India’s losses in the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the ODI World Cup 2023, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) extended Dravid’s tenure until the T20 World Cup 2024. His coaching team played a crucial role in securing the ICC trophy.
You Don’t Plan These Things – Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid expressed that he was deeply moved with joy for the team and support staff, who had put in relentless effort. He also noted that his emotional reactions during the T20 World Cup 2024 celebrations were entirely spontaneous and unplanned.
“You don’t plan these things. In most times, I try to keep my emotions in check as a coach and you are expected to do that. But at that time, I felt really happy for the team. I felt happy for the boys. I felt happy for the support staff. So many people who had worked really hard along with me,” Dravid said on Star Sports.
Rahul Dravid chose not to seek a second term as India’s head coach following the T20 World Cup, citing family commitments. Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir succeeded him as coach before the white-ball series against Sri Lanka. Under Gambhir’s leadership, India secured a 3-0 victory in the T20I series but is currently trailing 1-0 in the ODI series.
We Had Come Close A Few Times – Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid acknowledged that although the Men in Blue came close to winning other ICC tournaments during his tenure, they fell short. The former Indian captain attributed their T20 World Cup victory to a combination of luck and destiny.
“I had been with the team for 2.5-3 years and we had come close a few times, whether it be the semifinals of the last T20 World Cup in Australia, the World Test Championship final, or the 50-over World Cup final in India, and we were just not able to cross the line in those critical moments. In those situations, you need a little bit of luck, a little bit of destiny to work your way and that day it was with us,” Dravid stated in the same conversation.
South Africa appeared on the brink of securing their first-ever T20 World Cup win, needing only 30 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand.
Nevertheless, Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Arshdeep Singh delivered disciplined overs, turning the tide in favor of the Rohit Sharma-led team.
