India’s head coach Rahul Dravid bid farewell to his coaching role with a victory in hand as the team emerged victorious against South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final. The final match also marked the retirement of players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja from the T20 format. Following the final, Dravid delivered an inspiring speech in the dressing room, specifically addressing captain Rohit Sharma.
In a video shared by the BCCI, Dravid expressed his gratitude to everyone involved and mentioned how proud he was of the team. He emphasized the importance of cherishing moments like this over individual achievements.
“I’m really short of words but all I just want to say is thank you to everyone for making me a part of what is an incredible memory. I think all of you will remember these moments. Right, I think like we always say it’s not about the run, it’s not about the wickets you’ll never remember your career but you’ll remember moments like this. So let’s really enjoy it. I could not be more proud of you guys,” he said.
India’s remarkable comeback in the final, where they defended 30 runs in 30 balls, left a lasting impression on Dravid. He commended the team’s resilience and teamwork, acknowledging the sacrifices and hard work put in by everyone involved.
“To come back the way you did, the way you fought, the way we worked as a team, the resilience, there’s been some disappointments over the years where we’ve come close, we’ve never been able to cross the line. But what this bunch of boys has done, what all of you have done, what everyone in the support staff has done, the hard work that we’ve put in, the sacrifices that we’ve made, you know, I think the whole country is really, really proud of each and every one of you and what you have achieved. And all of you should be,” he said.
The sacrifices, the commitment, the comeback
#TeamIndia Head Coach Rahul Dravid’s emotional dressing room speech in Barbados #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/vVUMfTZWbc
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 2, 2024
Dravid highlighted the sacrifices made by individuals and their families to reach this level of success. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the team’s efforts and praised their commitment.
“All I can say is thank you so much, man. I really am short of words and I’m not usually short of words, but on a day like today, I think, you know, for me to just be a part of this, I could not be more grateful and I could not be more thankful for the respect, for the kindness, for the effort that each and every one of you have shown to me, to my coaching staff, to my support staff. Thank you so much,” he asserted.
Dravid also thanked captain Rohit Sharma for convincing him to continue as the head coach until the T20 World Cup 2024. He acknowledged the captain’s leadership and the teamwork that led to the team’s success.
“Just like to say, Ro, thank you very much for making that call to me in November and asking me to continue. I think it’s been such a privilege and a pleasure to work with each and every one of you and every one of you, but also to Ro, thanks for the time. I know as a captain and of course, there’s a lot of time we have to chat, we have to discuss, we have to agree, we have to disagree at times, but thank you so very much. I think, you know, it’s been brilliant to get to know each and every one of you as a person and yeah, I think it’s your moment, guys, it’s your moment. Remember it, it’s not about any individual, it’s about a team. We won this as a team, we did everything that we did for the last one month as a team, it’s about all of us, it’s not about an individual, it’s about all of us. Thank you very well done, could not be proud, let’s party, let’s really enjoy this.
“Behind that great team, there’s also successful organization and just like to acknowledge the work of the GCCI and the people behind the scenes for the work and stuff they’ve done for us. Each and every one of us comes through a system, each and every one of us comes through an organization that gives us the opportunities to grow and play, so thank you very much, well done,” he concluded.
@Cricbun
