'It has been an absolute privilege': Rohit Sharma pays emotional tribute to 'coach' and 'friend' Rahul Dravid

T20 World Cup-winning India skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday paid an emotional tribute to head coach Rahul Dravid who decided to leave his post after guiding the Men in Blue to the 2024 T20 World Cup title in Barbados recently. India had beaten South Africa by seven runs in the final on 29 June, with Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning catch to dismiss David Miller in the final over proving to be the game-changer.

“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,” Rohit wrote on his Instagram handle along with photos of him and his family with Dravid.

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“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.”

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“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,” he concluded in his post.

Rohit and Dravid share a special bond with each other. Rahul Dravid recently recalled how a phone call from Rohit following India’s loss to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final changed Dravid’s mind about calling it quits as India head coach. At that time, Rohit had convinced Dravid to stay on as India head coach till the end of the T20 World Cup, and in the end it was a fitting farewell not just for Dravid, but also Rohit, who announced his retirement from T20Is after the final.

Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja too announced their retirements from T20Is shortly after the T20 World Cup final. This was India’s second T20 World Cup title, and their first ICC title since 2013, when they had won the Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.