Rahul Dravid is a legend in Indian Cricket. Known for his solid defense, good technique and good conduct off-field, Dravid has earned tons of supporters and admirers for his good actions. While we know about his cricket, we know little about what he likes and his passions. There are many lesser-known facts about his life that we can learn about and take inspiration from the simple life he leads. Here, we view 10 things you did not know about Rahul Dravid.
1. Wildlife Enthusiast
It might come off as a surprise. Rahul Dravid is a great wildlife enthusiast and works towards wildlife conservation. He is most involved in various wildlife preservation programs and often conducts campaigns to spread awareness among people. Recently, Dravid has adopted two cheetahs and named them after his sons. This love for animals and a drive to preserve wildlife and nature gained appreciation from many people.
2. Cricket-Natyam
This incident occurred with Dravid when he was with his family. While in a plane, Dravid imagined hitting impossible shots, such as the scoop, reverse sweep, and switch hit. He tried using his hands while seated on the plane. His family laughed, seeing his actions, and termed the moment as Cricket- Natyam (Since the actions resembled Bharatnatyam.) This moment further instills the concentration of Rahul Dravid, as he remains focused on cricket, even while he is with family.
3. Record-Breaking Wicketkeeper
Rahul Dravid was also a wicketkeeper. He kept for India for short times, when the current squad wicketkeeper, mostly Nayan Mongia, was injured in the 2003-04 season and a lack of form from 2004 onwards. Dravid did wicketkeeping for two years, in which he was crucial. Especially in the 2001 Kolkata Test Match, an injured, feverish Dravid, on the request of captain Ganguly, stayed behind the stumps and took the catch of the Aussie skipper Steve Waugh. After the arrival of Dhoni, Rahul Dravid fielded in slips, where he took many catches. Dravid has a record for the most catches taken by a non-wicketkeeper.
4. Engineering Graduate
Rahul Dravid is an Engineering Graduate passed out from Bangalore University. Education has always been important to Dravid, as he also secured a Bachelor of Commerce. Despite success in the cricket field, Rahul Dravid, like other cricketers from Karnataka, such as Anil Kumble, focused on academic and cricketing success to have an all-rounded career with academic and sports achievements.
5. Rahul Dravid’s Record Against All Test Nations
Rahul Dravid has scored a century against all the test-playing nations. This was an unexpected achievement, which not even the great Sachin Tendulkar can claim to have. This achievement further boosted Dravid into the elite club, and Dravid is the only Indian Cricketer there. The achievement further confirms Dravid’s legacy in cricket.
6. Avid Reader And Collector Of Books
Dravid is an avid reader and collector of books. Books seem to entertain him rather than watching a movie or web series. During his spare time, Dravid is with a book in hand. This reading habit further improves his communication skills and vocabulary and calms his mind as he says. Dravid’s reading habits have further improved his perception of life and has impacted positively in his life. He values reading as a means to expand your horizons of thinking and helps him to gain knowledge about various cultures, communities, personalities and many historical events, further broadening his holistic and individual development.
7. Humble Start
Before achieving greatness in the cricket field, Dravid worked as a trainee in a finance company with decent job pay. He didn’t even look like he was going to play for India, says Dravid when talking about his early days. In his early days, Dravid wanted to balance both cricket and his studies. Through his intellect, Dravid got many hours to play cricket and excelled in class, scoring over 90 percent in all subjects.However, through sheer willpower and concentration, Dravid burst through the domestic circuit and went into the national team. Dravid’s simple and approachable is why we, as fans, love and respect Dravid for his contributions to cricket.
8. Success As Coach And Mentor
The Indian U-19 Team had been a rollercoaster ride for many years. Consistency was lacking within the Indian U-19 Squad. One World Cup, they would go to a final, and the other, U-19 Squad, would be knocked out. With Rahul Dravid joining, who was sought by Delhi Daredevils, a mindset shift happened. But Dravid changed his mind and focused on the development of the Indian youngsters, and, under his mentorship, India won the U-19 World Cup 2021. Dravid was also crucial in developing several young talents, such as Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant, in the Delhi Daredevils team and is a massive factor in inducting them into the team.
9. Iron Will
Dravid’s Iron Will was laid bare in front of many fans when he batted for 12 hours with a high fever to draw a test match. This incident occurred in the 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where Dravid had a high fever due to the Kolkata heat. Australians were in the driving seat after a dismal batting performance by India, after which they followed on. But Dravid, batting with a high fever, alongside VVS Laxman, who had an injured back, and despite constant sledging by Australian fielders, brought the test to a draw after batting for over two days and putting up a record-partnership of 376 runs in which Dravid scored 180 runs.
10. Philanthropist
Rahul Dravid is a philanthropist, often attending child welfare events and organizing charities for children, education, and health causes. Dravid runs a foundation known as the Rahul Dravid Foundation, dedicated to providing education, healthcare, and life skill training to underprivileged children. The foundation also provides sports development programs and conducts talent searches in various parts of the country to find suitable youngsters and help them in their respective sporting disciplines. Dravid is also the goodwill ambassador to Akshaya Patra Foundation, aiming to prevent hunger in underprivileged school children.
