Rahul Dravid rubbishes ‘redemption’ claims after India’s World Cup triumph: ‘There are many other players…’

In a hard-fought contest, India beat South Africa by 7 runs on Saturday to win only their second T20 World Cup title. The World Cup title also comes at a time when India has lost the finals of two major tournaments, The World Test Championship and ODI World Cup, in the last year alone.

Also Read | Rohit Sharma joins Virat Kohli, announces retirement from T20 internationals: ‘No better time to…’

At this point, it is normal for fans to feel that the Men in Blue have completed their arc of redemption after losing the 50-over World Cup final to Australia just 7 months ago. However, India coach Rahul Dravid has played down the ‘redemption’ narrative, saying that he is not a man who thinks about redemption and that there are many other players who have not been able to win a trophy.

Speaking after the T20 World Cup triumph, Dravid said, “Firstly, there is no redemption. I am not one of those guys who thinks about redemption and those kind of things. There are a lot of other players I know who have not been able to win a trophy… I was lucky to be given the opportunity to coach, and I was lucky that this bunch of boys made it possible for me to be able to win a trophy and celebrate.

“Nice feeling, but it’s not like I am aiming for some redemption, it’s just a job that I was doing. I loved doing the job, I loved working with Rohit and this team. It’s been a great journey and I have really enjoyed it.” Dravid added.

Notably, Dravid’s tenure ended after the ODI World Cup last year, but he was given a short-term extension by BCCI until the end of the T20 World Cup. But with India winning the Twenty Over World Cup, Dravid’s job is done, and it will now be time for BCCI to look for a new man to replace ‘The Wall’ at the helm.