Watch: Rahul Dravid receives guard of honour from kids at Bengaluru's cricket academy

Ex-India head coach Rahul Dravid, who recently led Team India to an incredible win in the T20 World Cup 2024, was subjected to a heartwarming gesture in the form of a guard of honour by young cricketers at a local academy.

Budding cricketer's special gesture for Rahul Dravid

The budding cricketers made the entry of the World Cup-winning coach memorable through this special gesture wherein they raised their bats amid applause from the academy's coaching staff. Dravid reciprocated with a smile while he shook hands with everyone present on the spot.

Dravid's relentless dedication and guidance in the T20 World Cup 2024 proved to be instrumental for Team India. Having started his journey as a player in 1996 and continuing till 2012, Dravid's dream of lifting a World Cup trophy was never realised. But his tenure as a coach became memorable owing to his significant contribution to the Indian team.

Dravid's tenure ended on a high note with this triumphant win, a joyful follow-up to his disappointments in the 2007 World Cup as a captain and in the 2023 World Cup as a coach.

Dravid keen on guiding future talents

Now that he is relieved of national duty, Dravid is keen on nurturing future cricketing talents. In a clip shared by the Bengaluru cricket academy, Dravid expressed his delight at being on the ground and his eagerness to mentor the aspiring cricketers. He acknowledged the enthusiasm of the young talents who aspire to shine in Indian cricket.

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The importance of Dravid’s victory was highlighted by his animated celebrations. Dravid’s passion was evident from his lifting of the World Cup trophy to his engagement with the crowd during India’s victory parade.

World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma also paid homage to Dravid in the post-match press conference. He remarked, "Rahul Dravid, more than anyone of us, deserved the World Cup trophy. What he has done for Indian cricket for the past 20–25 years... I think this was the only thing that was left in his cabinet. Very happy from all of us, on behalf of the entire team, that we could do this for him. You saw how proud he was and how excited he was."

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In 2005, Dravid was appointed captain of India, leading the squad to triumph in two Test series against the West Indies and England in 2006 and 2007 respectively. He quit the game in 2012 having scored 13,288 runs in Tests, the second-best by an Indian, as well as 10,889 runs in ODIs.

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