Birthday boy Rahul Dravid — Fully dedicated 22 years on 22 yards

Rahul Dravid

Just imagine – a lifespan of active cricket, playing tirelessly day in day out, fulfilling the most challenging role of a saviour – Rahul Dravid has truly been a solid wall.

Only one cricketer could have been so dedicated – our heart throb – Rahul Dravid. He has turned 41 today. Throughout his career, he has given a wonderful performance, as it is not easy to maintain an average of 51.42 in Test cricket. This speaks volumes about his contribution.

It appears a little strange that Dravid was not recognized as a great ODI or T20 batsman. Yes, Dravid holds the 4th position in the list of players with most runs in the Test cricket. But then, when we have a look at his stats in ODIs, they are equally impressive. In a total of 344 ODIs played, Dravid scored 13288 runs. In the only T20 he played, he had scored 31 runs with three sixes! Surely he has always been underestimated in the formats of ODI and T20.

He has a splendid stature – Dravid is regardes as the most humble and kind hearted cricketer who has always worked as a friend, philosopher and guide for the young cricketers. Recently, he has been guiding the young batsmen from Karnataka. He is so passionate about the game that he has been very vocal against any wrongdoing.

Be it the recent case of spot fixing or scandals involving betting – Rahul always takes an appropriate stand. He was very hurt when players of Rajasthan Royals were involved in spot-fixing. Dravid immediately demanded stern action against everyone involved, irrespective of the status or position one holds.

Even while commentating, he remains very balanced and his analyses are meticulous. He is one of the most popular figures among the media and he is always given due weightage. He has a cool and composed temperament, on the basis of which he has successfully sailed through his journey spreading 22 years, having made his first-class debut in 1990/91.

Few of his hardcore fans feel that he has been overshadowed under the aura of Sachin Tendulkar and his Himalayan achievements have been somewhat neglected under the mammoth records held by Tendulkar.

Incidentally, Rahul Dravid is the only batsman who has scored a Test ton in all the Test-playing nations.

Dravid is known for having a sound technique and has attained the status of one of the best players of the game. He is also known to be one of the best Indian batsman for overseas conditions, where normally Indian batsmen have been known to struggle due to the swinging and seaming conditions. In line with his reputation, Rahul Dravid has won four Man of the Series award outside Indian sub-continent.

Rahul Dravid has got a long list of the awards and rewards. To name a few, he got Arjuna Award in 1998 and was facilitated with the coveted Wisden Cricketer of the year award in the year 2000. He was also given Padma Shri (2004), ICC Player of the year and cricketer of the year (2004), NDTV’s lifetime achievement award (2011) and Padma Bhushan in the year 2013.

We wish him many happy returns of the day and hope that he will be associated himself with team India in the form of a coach and mentor, so as to give valuable guidance from his rich experience.