Outgoing India head coach Rahul Dravid showcased his humor after India won the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados on June 29. This was the final assignment of Rahul Dravid’s tenure and he will now be looking for new avenues.

Dravid, who never won a world championship during his own illustrious playing career, lauded his team for their perseverance and belief under tough conditions.

"I really have felt short of words over the last few hours. I just could not be more proud of this team, and the way we had to fight difficult situations. Even today I think it was a great testimony... for the team to lose three wickets in the first six overs, to be in the kind of position we were in, but the boys just kept fighting, they kept believing,” Dravid said.

India endured a disappointing first-round exit in the 2007 ODI World Cup in the Caribbean under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy, but he chose to focus on future possibilities rather than past failures.

"Firstly, there is no redemption. I am not one of those guys who thinks about redemption and those kinds of things. There are a lot of other players I know who have not been able to win a trophy," Dravid added.

Rahul Dravid also talked about his experience of coaching the Indian team since 2021.

"This is a journey of (over) two years, this is not a journey of this T20 World Cup, the construction of this team, the kind of skills we wanted, players we wanted, discussions started when I started in September 2021. Just phenomenal, just lovely to be a part of a dressing room like this. It's a memory of a lifetime for me, so I am thankful and grateful to the team and the support staff who have made this possible,” he added.

Reflecting on his relationship with team captain Rohit Sharma, Dravid said: "I will miss him as a person, forget the cricket, forget the captain and everything. I just hope we will still be friends.”

As Dravid leaves his role, he is confident in the team's potential for continued success.

"The ability and talent this bunch of boys have is tremendous. There were moments when we felt that we were not able to win a big trophy despite giving our best. But today, I can say with confidence that they will continue the good work and win more trophies going ahead,” he added.

Ending on a lighter note, Dravid humorously acknowledged his departure.

"I will be able to move on quickly from this win, next week I will be unemployed (laughs). I don't want to think too far ahead, but yes, I hope, I will be able to move on. I think that's what life is all about,” he concluded.

(PTI inputs)