India’s head coach, Rahul Dravid, faced some challenging questions during a press conference ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 match against Afghanistan. The former cricketer, known for his stellar career with the Indian team, was reminded of his less-than-stellar record in Barbados, which seemed to strike a nerve.
A reporter brought up Dravid’s past performances at the venue, specifically referencing a Test match from 1997. Visibly irritated, Dravid responded with a mix of sarcasm and frustration, highlighting his forward-looking approach as a coach.
The exchange began with the reporter pointing out Dravid’s poor stats in the 1997 Test match against the West Indies in Bridgetown, where Dravid scored 78 and 2 runs, and India lost by 38 runs.
“Geez, thanks a lot buddy! I have had some other decent memories here as well,” Dravid retorted, before the reporter probed further about making new and better memories in the upcoming match.
“God man! I am not trying to make new anything man!” Dravid exclaimed, emphasizing that he no longer dwells on his past performances as a player.
Dravid elaborated on his mindset, explaining, “I move on from things very quickly. That’s one of my things. I don’t look back on things. I try and look at what I am doing now, at the moment. I am not concerned about what happened in ’97 or some other year.”
He continued, “By winning this… you know. If you had told me that by winning this, we would have not scored 80-odd and scored 121, then I would be bothered. But, even if we win this match tomorrow, unfortunately, that is still going to remain 80 on the scorecard, however much I try and will it. No, I don’t think about any retribution. I move on from things. What’s in front of me, good or bad?”
Dravid made it clear that his focus is entirely on his current role as coach and the challenges ahead. “I don’t think of myself much as a player anymore. Yeah, just move on. Focus on tomorrow, and try and get a good result tomorrow,” he concluded.
As Dravid leads the Indian team into the match against Afghanistan, it’s evident that his sights are firmly set on the future, leaving past performances where they belong – in the past.
4o
Nithin Rosh 
Sekar Rao