"The boys deserve all the praise" - selfless Rahul Dravid denies credit for performances of Team India's youngsters
Former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid proved yet again why he is such a gentleman, as he denied taking any credit for the performances of Team India's youngsters Down Under.
Despite having a plethora of injuries, Team India mounted an unbelievable comeback to complete a historic 2-1 series win over Australia, thanks to their incredible bench strength.
This series will be particularly remembered for the performances of youngsters such as Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, etc. who were instrumental in ending Australia's 32-year unbeaten streak at the Gabba.
One thing that is common with all these youngsters is that they have been guided by Rahul Dravid at the Under-19 level as well as with the India A team.
However, Dravid was quick to refrain from grabbing the limelight for these youngsters doing well in international cricket.
"Ha ha, unnecessary credit, the boys deserve all the praise," Rahul Dravid said when The Indian Express praised him on his contribution in strengthening Team India's bench.
Rahul Dravid decided that performances in Ranji Trophy matter for the India A team: Paranjpe
Former national selector Jatin Paranjpe also lauded Rahul Dravid for his contribution in giving fringe Indian players a feel of top-level cricket through India A tours.
He said that Dravid selected the India A team based on performances in the Ranji Trophy, which turned out to be a masterstroke.
"Before such tours, the support staff of the Indian team, A team, U-19 team, selectors, and Dravid discuss which bucket of players we want to concentrate on. The performances in the Ranji Trophy matter in the selection of the A team. Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari were picked from there," Paranjpe told the Indian Express.
Rahul Dravid's dedication and efforts in improving the pool of players for representing Team India bore fruit, when the young guns took a victory lap around the Gabba with the Tricolor in their hand.
The legend that he is, Dravid will continue to keep on giving back to the game that he has loved so much, without taking any plaudits.