3 off-field instances which show the Greatness of Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid, the ‘Wall’ of Indian cricket team, announced his International retirement on March 9, 2012. He then represented Rajasthan Royals during the fifth and sixth editions of Indian Premier League. Upon retirement, he has continued his association with the game as a head coach for teams like Delhi Daredevils, India ‘A’, and India U19.
In an era, where the modern-day coaches have fallen in love with T20 leagues for both monetary and time benefits, Dravid’s heart rests with the grassroots of the game. When the conflict of interest issue surfaced, Dravid decided to let go of his luxurious IPL job and became the coach of India ‘A’ and U19 teams. This single incident can be a testament to his love towards the game.
Dravid is widely regarded as the ‘Gentleman’ of the ‘Gentleman’s game.’ Apart from his on-field heroics, his off-field behaviors too have played a vital role in naming him with such a prestigious tag.
Let us look at three such off-field cases, which show the greatness of Rahul Dravid.
#3 Rejecting the ‘Doctorate’
On January 2017, Bangalore University decided to confer Rahul Dravid with an honorary doctorate at their 52nd Annual Convocation Ceremony. Dravid was supposed to be the second Bengaluru-based cricketer to receive an honorary doctorate from the Bangalore University. Gundappa Vishwanath had earlier been conferred with the same degree.
However, the Indian batting legend rejected the offer. In a press release shared by the University, Dravid was quoted as saying, “he would try to earn a Doctorate Degree by accomplishing some form of academic research in the field of sports rather than receiving an honorary degree.”
It was not the first time that Dravid had denied a doctorate. Earlier, in 2014, Gulbarga University decided to give him one, but Dravid did not attend the convocation ceremony.