New Delhi: Former India skipper and head coach Rahul Dravid is glad that the national team is finally transforming its immense cricketing potential into title triumphs.
In the last two years, India have won each of the last two men’s T20 World Cups, women’s ODI World Cup, men’s U-19 World Cup as well as the women’s U-19 T20 World Cup.
Under Dravid’s tutelage India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and then became the first team to defend that title recently.
After being honoured with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award during the BCCI’s annual awards function, Dravid said India’s recent success is an ode to players, administrators as well as fans.
“It just kind of feels right, right?” “Almost everything coming together at this point of time where Indian cricket has always had great potential and it’s (about) realising that potential on the field as well. Off the field, I think we’ve always had everything we needed and on the field, it’s been great to see that potential being realised,” Dravid told Star Sports.
“It’s been phenomenal. It’s just been amazing to see the way Indian cricket has grown over these three decades,” he said reflecting from the time he made his debut in 1996.
“Indian cricket has always had amazing talent. We’ve always had really good administrators. We’ve always had really good coaches (and) we’ve been able to back that up with incredible infrastructure.
“We’ve always had a fantastic domestic system, (a) very good junior cricket system.” “… and some of the most incredible fans in the world.
“The kind of supporters and fans that we have, deserved all of this to come together, to have success on the field. It’s amazing to see how that all of that is coming together now.”
The former batter noted that Suryakumar Yadav’s had to battle the weight of expectations of being the favourites and win the T20 World Cup, which is all the creditable.
“It was just lovely to see… Just the performance of the world T20 side, the expectations were immense. They started off as favourites, and it’s not always easy,” Dravid said.
“Yes, of course, they’re a very good side, but it’s not always easy to start off as favourites and be there right at the end and lift a trophy. It comes with its own pressures, its own challenges. It was just really good to see Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) and Gautam (Gambhir) and the team really do that.”