"People don’t even know my name" - Rahul Dravid recalls experiences after 1st ton in school cricket
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid recently recalled a funny incident from his school cricket days when his name came in the newspaper for the first time.
Even before making it big in the international arena, Dravid piled up runs year after year in school cricket for St. Joseph's Boys High School in Karnataka. The former cricketer revealed one incident when the newspaper got his name wrong and instead wrote 'Rahul David'.
Speaking on Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra's podcast 'In the Zone', Dravid stated:
“The editor obviously thought that there was a spelling mistake and there could be no one as Dravid. So, it had to be David, right?"
He added:
“Because it’s a lot more common name. So, I think it was a good lesson for me as well to realize that while I might be really happy and excited about scoring a 100 in school cricket but I am still not well known. And people don’t even know my name. They can’t even trust my name to be right and have to change it."
Rahul ‘David’ recounts a crucial lesson he learnt after scoring his 1st century in school cricket. Tune in to my podcast ‘In the Zone’ to dissect the mind of THE gentleman from the gentleman’s game.
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Rahul Dravid represented his state side Karnataka in U15, U17, and U19 and domestic cricket before making his India debut in 1996. He brought the curtains down on his career as one of India's greatest ever cricket, finishing with over 24000 runs, including 48 centuries.
"I still remember the adrenaline rush that I felt" - Rahul Dravid on how Abhinav Bindra's gold helped him in his career
A couple of years ago, Rahul Dravid revealed how the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medalist Bindra's journey had inspired him when he was going through a rough patch at the time. The former captain also recommended that everyone should read the Olympian's autobiography in the quest for excellence.
Speaking at an event, Dravid stated:
“In 2008, I was in the middle of a lean patch. The runs had dried up and I was on the wrong side of the 30s. That isn’t a good territory in Indian cricket. I needed to pick myself up, I wanted to. I knew I had at least a couple of years of cricket left in me."
He added:
"Around this time, I watched with glee as Abhinav Bindra shot his way towards an Olympic gold in Beijing. I still remember the adrenaline rush that I felt at that time. Reading Abhinav’s autobiography was fascinating for me. I think his story must be read by anyone on the quest for excellence."
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra won gold in the Men's 10-meter air rifle event, becoming the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games.