Legendary player and captain Sunil Gavaskar has urged for India’s highest civilian honor, Bharat Ratna, to be bestowed upon Rahul Dravid, the coach of the T20 World Cup-winning team. Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar made this appeal.
Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has advocated for Rahul Dravid to be honored with the Bharat Ratna. Gavaskar has appealed for Dravid, the coach of the T20 World Cup-winning team, to be given the country’s highest recognition. He highlighted Dravid’s achievements in his column published in a newspaper, praising his leadership in securing series wins in the West Indies and England. So far, only Sachin Tendulkar has been honored with the Bharat Ratna in the world of sports.
Gavaskar’s appeal was published in his column in the ‘Mid Day’ newspaper on July 7. In it, he wrote,
“It would be wonderful if the government honors Rahul Dravid with the Bharat Ratna, which he truly deserves. As a great player and captain of the country, he led the team to victory in the West Indies, where winning meant something. Dravid is one of the three captains under whom India has won a Test series in England. He has contributed significantly by leading the National Cricket Academy and coaching the senior team to nurture talents.”
“Dravid’s achievements have given everyone a reason to celebrate beyond caste, religion, and creed. He deserves the highest honor of the country. Let’s all appeal to the government to confer this honor upon one of India’s greatest sons. Bharat Ratna, Rahul Sharad Dravid. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”
As a player, Dravid has scored over 10,000 runs in both Test and One Day International formats, standing as one of the elite players globally. Known as ‘The Wall,’ he stood firm whenever the team needed him the most. As a coach, he has achieved numerous milestones. After coaching Team India to victory in the T20 World Cup in 2021, Dravid played a crucial role in making the team champions within two and a half years. Apart from this, Team India remained runners-up in the 2023 ICC Test Championship and 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. Before taking charge as the head coach of the senior team, he polished the juniors’ talent. Under his coaching tenure in 2018, the Under-19 team won the World Cup.
