When Rahul Dravid hugged the T20 World Cup trophy and cried | Cricket News

Former India coach Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India coach ended on a high note as he lifted the T20 World Cup trophy after a thrilling seven-run win over South Africa in the final on June 29.

India’s veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recalled the moment when he was deeply moved when Dravid embraced the ICC T20 World Cup trophy and had tears in his eyes after leading the team to their first ICC title in 11 years in his last stint as coach.

Ashwin said on his YouTube channel: “My moment was when Virat Kohli called Rahul Dravid and gave the cup… I saw him hugging the cup and crying. Rahul Dravid was screaming and crying. I saw him enjoying it. I felt that very much.”

Dravid, a legendary batsman, had never won an ICC title during his active career.

In the days following the T20 World Cup victory, it was announced that former India opening batsman and two-time World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir would succeed Dravid as the new head coach.

Gambhir will begin his tenure with the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, scheduled for July 27.

Ashwin acknowledged Dravid’s achievements even amid the adversity and rejection he faced during his playing and coaching career, such as the early exit from the 2007 50-over World Cup.

“I want to talk about a person who is sacred. 2007, 50-over World Cup. India gets knocked out. Rahul Dravid, the captain at that time. He is not the captain of the one-day team after that. He has been with the Indian team. If something goes wrong, if the Indian team gets knocked out, if they lose a match, they immediately ask what Dravid is doing,” Ashwin said.

“I know what he’s done with this team the last two, three years. I know how balanced he’s been. I know how hard he’s worked to change this approach. I know what he’s given to each of his players. Even when he was just sitting at home, he’s planned how he’s going to do this and that,” he concluded.

In the thrilling conclusion to the 2024 T20 World Cup, India’s batting duo of Virat Kohli and Axar Patel played a crucial role in setting a competitive target. Kohli’s impressive knock of 76 runs, coupled with Patel’s quickfire 47, helped India reach a total of 176 for 7, taking them closer to realising their dream of lifting the trophy.

The Indian bowlers faced a daunting task to defend the total but held their nerve in a thrilling finish. The pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh proved instrumental in securing the victory. Bumrah’s miserly spell of 2/18, Pandya’s crucial 3/20, Arshdeep’s equally critical 2/20 in the final overs stifled the opposition chase, ultimately leading to a narrow seven-run victory for the ‘Men in Blue’, securing their second T20 World Cup title.