With sobriquets like the ‘Wall’, ‘Mr Dependable’ and one of the ‘Fab Four’ (of the earlier two decades !), Rahul Dravid, legendary cricketer with classical copybook batting style & sheer tenacity (also brilliant wicket-keeper/super slip fielder!) simply belongs to highest pedigree of Indian Cricket and the media, rightly built a ’larger than life’ image of him , which he has actually shunned and ducked away from, just as he did with bouncers !
As he retires from his momentous stint as Head Coach from the victorious Indian Team that lifted the World Cup T20) after a long wait of 13 years, there are heartfelt tributes and paeans of praise pouring in from almost everyone in the cricketing fraternity and the media, we fans can only applaud from a distance but those who’ve had the smallest interactions will apart from his cricket glory, know him as a perennial ‘Nice Guy’ ! He exemplifies that despite fame, talent & success, one can still be humble & unassuming !
During my overseas stint in Nairobi, Kenya during early 2000, the Indian Team led by Dada Ganguly played the Champions Trophy where all the teams participated. We as ex-pat officers got a chance to interact with the Indian players in the High Commission & it was a lovely experience. While it was difficult to elicit any response from Sachin & Dada, Kumble joked with my young son when I said he had makings of a leg spinner but it was Rahul, warm and chatty, as we talked about his very successful stint in County Cricket !
Much later for a span of few years in mid 2000, Rahul Dravid was appointed the Brand Ambassador for our Bank (BOB) for his ‘dependable’ qualities so important in banking. In all those years, I worked in different offices and branches in Mumbai and would get opportunities to see him deliver talks on various forums. With his penchant for perfect straight drives, he was always a straight talker with keen sense of humour but would never exude his exalted status. Dravid was as we all felt, a ‘Gentleman’ and a ‘Legend’ !
We hear that young Dravid, Rahul’s son is turning out to be a promising cricketer and is already playing in the domestic circuit. What he and we all must learn from Rahul Bhai is apart from being really good at what you do, it’s important to be a good human being !
( PS : Pic is Dravid and Dada in Nairobi with my son, Srimanto, then 13 years old )
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