Rahul Dravid celebrated his 53rd birthday, with the BCCI hailing ‘The Wall’ for his legendary career. The tribute highlighted his 24,000+ runs, 48 centuries, and his successful coaching tenure, culminating in the 2024 T20 World Cup win.
Former India captain and former head coach Rahul Dravid turned 53 on Sunday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to X to extend its wishes to the batting great, who carved out a legendary career on the back of an impenetrable defence and a rock-solid technique. Known for his discipline and mental toughness, Dravid earned a reputation as one of the most reliable batters of his generation, consistently delivering runs for India across formats. 5⃣0⃣9⃣ Intl matches 2⃣4⃣,2⃣0⃣8⃣ Intl runs 4️⃣8️⃣ Intl centuries Winning Head Coach of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2⃣0⃣2⃣4⃣ 🏆 Here’s wishing #TeamIndia great Rahul Dravid, a very Happy Birthday 🎂🥳 pic.twitter.com/6MvMVl8Lz5 — BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2026
A Legacy Beyond Numbers: ‘The Wall’
Fondly referred to as “The Wall”, Dravid’s contribution to Indian cricket goes beyond numbers. From anchoring the batting line-up during challenging overseas tours to guiding the next generation as head coach, his influence on Indian cricket has been immense.
Stellar Batting Career: A Statistical Overview
Test Career
This batting legend represented India in 164 Test matches and scored 13,288 runs at an average of 52.31. He has 36 centuries and 63 fifties in the longer format, with the best score of 270. He is India’s second-highest run-getter in Tests and overall at fourth place.
ODI and T20I Career
In 344 ODIs, Dravid scored 10,889 runs at an average of 39.16. He has 12 centuries and 83 fifties in the format, with the best score of 153. He is the fifth-highest run-getter for India in ODIs and the tenth-highest overall. He scored 31 runs in the only T20I he played for India.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
He has also represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) (2008-2010) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) (2011-13) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 89 IPL matches, he scored 2,174 runs at an average of 28.23. He has 11 fifties in the IPL and has scored his runs at a strike rate of 115.52.
Successful Coaching Stint
Later in his career, Dravid achieved several coaching successes, including the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. He also reached the finals of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, with the latter ending in a heartbreaking loss to Australia after a dominant 10-match winning streak. However, the T20 World Cup, months later in Barbados, served as a fitting send-off for the legend.
Nurturing Future Stars
The development of prominent Indian stars such as Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Sarfaraz Khan, Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Washington Sundar, and many more during his tenure as U19 coach earned him significant acclaim. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)