NEW DELHI: India coach Rahul Dravid expressed immense pride after his side claimed the T20 World Cup title with a tight seven-run victory over South Africa, ending an 11-year drought for an ICC title.
Dravid, who has never won a World Championship in his illustrious career, praised his team’s perseverance and belief in the tough circumstances.
“I’ve been really at a loss for words over the last few hours. I couldn’t be more proud of this team and the way we’ve dealt with difficult circumstances,” Dravid said. “And I think it was a great testament to the way we found ourselves today, losing three wickets in the first six overs, but the players kept fighting and kept believing.”
Dravid, who captained his country to a disappointing first-round exit at the 2007 ODI World Cup in the Caribbean, chose to focus on future potential rather than past failures.
“Firstly, there is no penance. I am not a person who thinks about penance. I know many players who have not won any trophies,” Dravid told news agency PTI.
The win in Barbados capped off Dravid’s coaching journey which began in September 2021. “This is more than a two-year journey, it’s not just a T20 World Cup journey. The discussions on building this team, the type of skills we were looking for, the players we wanted, started when I took over in September 2021.”
Dravid, who stepped down as manager following the win, described the title win as a career highlight: “It’s just phenomenal. I’m really happy to be part of such a dressing room. It’s something I’ll cherish forever so I’d like to thank the team and support staff for making this possible.”
Reflecting on his association with team captain Rohit Sharma, Dravid spoke heartfelt: “I will miss him as a person. I will miss his cricket, his captaincy and everything else. I just hope that we will continue to remain friends.”
Dravid noted the exceptional talent of the current crop of players and expressed optimism about the future of Indian cricket.
“The players today are a great talent in Indian cricket. Their confidence, their energy is on another level at the moment. We have been striving for ICC trophies for a long time and I have high hopes that they will carry on with this confidence and help Indian cricket win many more trophies in the next five-six years,” Dravid said.
As he steps down from his role, Dravid is confident about the team’s chances of continued success in the future: “The ability and talent of these players is incredible. There were moments when it felt like we weren’t going to win big trophies despite trying our best. But today, I can say with confidence that they will continue to do a good job and win many more trophies.”
Finally, Dravid acknowledged his retirement with plenty of humour: “This win will help me bounce back quickly. I’ll be unemployed next week (laughs). I don’t want to think too far ahead but yes, I hope I will bounce back. I guess that’s how life is.”
Dravid, who has never won a World Championship in his illustrious career, praised his team’s perseverance and belief in the tough circumstances.
“I’ve been really at a loss for words over the last few hours. I couldn’t be more proud of this team and the way we’ve dealt with difficult circumstances,” Dravid said. “And I think it was a great testament to the way we found ourselves today, losing three wickets in the first six overs, but the players kept fighting and kept believing.”
Dravid, who captained his country to a disappointing first-round exit at the 2007 ODI World Cup in the Caribbean, chose to focus on future potential rather than past failures.
“Firstly, there is no penance. I am not a person who thinks about penance. I know many players who have not won any trophies,” Dravid told news agency PTI.
The win in Barbados capped off Dravid’s coaching journey which began in September 2021. “This is more than a two-year journey, it’s not just a T20 World Cup journey. The discussions on building this team, the type of skills we were looking for, the players we wanted, started when I took over in September 2021.”
Dravid, who stepped down as manager following the win, described the title win as a career highlight: “It’s just phenomenal. I’m really happy to be part of such a dressing room. It’s something I’ll cherish forever so I’d like to thank the team and support staff for making this possible.”
Reflecting on his association with team captain Rohit Sharma, Dravid spoke heartfelt: “I will miss him as a person. I will miss his cricket, his captaincy and everything else. I just hope that we will continue to remain friends.”
Dravid noted the exceptional talent of the current crop of players and expressed optimism about the future of Indian cricket.
“The players today are a great talent in Indian cricket. Their confidence, their energy is on another level at the moment. We have been striving for ICC trophies for a long time and I have high hopes that they will carry on with this confidence and help Indian cricket win many more trophies in the next five-six years,” Dravid said.
As he steps down from his role, Dravid is confident about the team’s chances of continued success in the future: “The ability and talent of these players is incredible. There were moments when it felt like we weren’t going to win big trophies despite trying our best. But today, I can say with confidence that they will continue to do a good job and win many more trophies.”
Finally, Dravid acknowledged his retirement with plenty of humour: “This win will help me bounce back quickly. I’ll be unemployed next week (laughs). I don’t want to think too far ahead but yes, I hope I will bounce back. I guess that’s how life is.”