Rahul Dravid’s Birthday: Let’s Know Him Beyond Cricket

Bhubaneswar: One of India’s greatest Test hitters ever, Rahul Sharad Dravid turned 50 today. He is also fondly called ‘The Wall’ for his staunch technique and the patience to spend hours and hours at the crease.

The gentleman of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid has won both hearts and matches with his calm demeanour both on and off the field.

Having earned the moniker “Mr Dependable,” he is adored by the likes of Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pieterson

Here are some interesting facts about him:

• Rahul Dravid once claimed that he didn’t want to miss his wife’s birthday, hence he chose the number 19 for his jersey.
• In his early years, Dravid had such a strong interest in hockey that he was even selected for the junior state squad for Karnataka.
• His father gave him the nickname Jamie, because he used to work for Kissan. In fact later, Dravid also appeared in an ad for the jam manufacturer.
• The “Jammy Cup” named after Dravid, is a school-level local competition in Bengaluru where the man of the match is awarded the title of “Jammy of the Day.”
• The phrase “The Wall” was used in a Reebok advertisement to refer to him.
• In an interview, Kevin Pietersen discussed how Rahul Dravid taught him how to play spin bowling via email.
• Rahul Dravid was the lone batsman Shoaib Akhtar admitted he never wanted to bowl out because of how kind-hearted he was.

Dravid is far more patient than anyone in the entire cricket history. Both in his personal and professional life, he has managed challenging situations gracefully, accepted defeat, and diligently tried to improve his weaknesses.

He had no fear of failing. In one interview, he said he has a good connection with failure. He never put off doing something because he was afraid of failing. Instead, he did his absolute best to complete it without thinking about the outcome.