Rahul Dravid is one of the best batsmen in cricket’s history and the director of cricket operations at National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru. He is usually known as the cool guy, who is well mannered and knows when to speak. He doesn’t talk out of place and knows when to “stand out”. But everything is not always the same. In 2017, his interview with Rajdeep Sardesai showed that he knows when to take a stand.
Rahul monitors the progress of India A and India under-19 cricket teams. The cricketer’s past interview has been taking off on the internet, and people love his savage answers to Rajdeep Sardesai’s questions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Rajdeep asks the following question at which Rahul gives remarkable responses:
Rajdeep asks Rahul if the player’s value has become more than the game itself. He then mentions Virat and Dhoni. He says that while Kohli gets to choose the national team coach, MS Dhoni decides his retirement. At this, Rahul answers with the savage answer,
“Don’t be critical of just Virat and Dhoni, even Ashish Nehra is getting to decide when he retires.”
After this remarkable answer, Rahul goes on to explain why the cricketers are now so important and who are the ones who made them so important,
“At the core of this (the cricketers) are normal guys, then suddenly they become heroes. And they become heroes thanks to people like you who keep asking them for interviews and write books about them. Who has made them too big?”
He also mentions how big news channels have made a ton of money by interviewing these players and by selling their ads,
“Let’s face it, news channels want players there. They also sell ads; they are making money.”
After this, followed by huge applause from the audience, Dravid further explains why he prefers to play outside India. He explains the importance of his freedom and says that overseas he can get out of his room and take rounds of the streets like a normal person, which is not possible in India.
Now, a journalist reminds him of Rajdeep’s initial question about sacking of Anil Kumble, something that was still unanswered.
He answers that question by saying that sacking out of Anil Kumble was disastrous because of how it happened,
“Coaches get sacked all the time, but that was certainly an unfortunate episode, and especially for someone like Anil, who has been an absolute legend to the game and someone who has done more to win Test matches or India than anybody I know.”
As for Dhoni, Dravid says that while players should not get to decide when they will retire, it is not morally correct to assume that MS Dhoni is deciding his retirement for himself. He is of the view that maybe the selectors don’t want him to retire right now. Perhaps they are the ones who decided that he should continue playing on the field.
ADVERTISEMENT
You can watch the full interview below:
Poor Rajdeep!! You don’t mess with IndiraNagar ka gunda!! 😂pic.twitter.com/QRKUC3v9yu
— Monica (@monicas004) April 14, 2021
ADVERTISEMENT
