Indian captain Rohit Sharma paid a heartfelt tribute to the T20 World Cup-winning head coach after their historic triumph over South Africa in Barbados on June 29.
Dravid left after serving the Indian men's team from November 2021 to the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies. During his tenure, India featured in three finals - the 2023 World Test Championship, the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
In an emotional post on Instagram, Rohit remained overwhelmed following the World Cup triumph and, after nine days, he took the time to post a heartfelt message for Dravid. He went on to joke about how his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, refers to Dravid as his 'work wife', and how Rohit felt fortunate to be able to call him that.
"Dear Rahul bhai, I have been trying to find the right words to properly express my feelings on this but I'm not sure I ever will so here's my attempt.
"Since my childhood days I have looked up to you just like billions of others but I was lucky enough to get to work with you this closely. You are an absolute stalwart of this game but you left all of your accolades and achievements at the door and walked in as our coach and came on a level where we all felt comfortable enough to say just about anything to you. That is your gift, your humility and your love for this game even after all this time. I have learnt so much from you and every memory will be cherished. My wife refers to you as my work wife and I'm lucky to get to call you that too," Rohit captioned the post.
"This was the only thing missing from your arsenal and I'm so happy that we got to achieve it together. Rahul bhai it has been an absolute privilege to get to call you my confidant, my coach and my friend.
Dravid and Rohit displayed mutual respect for one another following the World Cup victory. Dravid disclosed how a phone call from Rohit prevented him from taking a break from his coaching responsibilities after India's heart-wrenching defeat in the ODI World Cup 2023 final.
Rohit had encouraged Dravid to continue his tenure until the T20 World Cup 2024. Ultimately, he received a fitting farewell with a trophy to his name as head coach.
- Rohit Sharma
- Rahul Dravid
