India ended their ICC Trophies drought last month after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies. India defeated South Africa in the final in Barbados on June 29. This was also the final match of Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India's coach.
After the match, Virat Kohli was seen handing the trophy to Rahul Dravid, who celebrated like never before. Dravid was part of the Indian team that lost the 2003 World Cup final to Australia and was captain of the Men in Blue when they crashed out of the group stage in the 2007 World Cup.
However, this time after heartbreaks in the World Test Championship 2023 final and the final of the ICC World Cup, Dravid finally had his moment of victory when India became the two-time T20 World Cup champions.
Talking about the moment, India's veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that he was deeply moved when Dravid embraced the ICC T20 World Cup trophy and shed tears after guiding the team to their first ICC title in 11 years during his final assignment as coach.
"My moment was when Virat Kohli called Rahul Dravid and gave the cup... I saw him hug the cup and cry. Rahul Dravid screamed and cried. I saw him enjoy it. I felt that a lot,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"I want to talk about a person who is scarred. 2007, 50-over World Cup. India gets knocked out. Rahul Dravid was the captain then. He does not captain the one-day side after that. He has been with the Indian team. If something does not go well, if the Indian team goes out, if they lose a match, immediately, they ask what Dravid is doing.
"I know what he has been doing with this team for the past two or three years. I know how balanced he has been. I know how hard he has worked to change this approach. I know what he has given each of his players. Even when he is just sitting at home, he has been planning how to do this and that," Ashwin added.
Under Rahul Dravid’s coaching tenure, India reached the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in 2022, won the Asia Cup 2023, and has ruled the rankings in all three formats of the game.
