Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, who was recently awarded the Colonel CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the BCCI annual awards ceremony, expressed his gratitude for the recognition and looked back at the opportunities he had been given during his cricketing career. Dravid told Star Sports, “I am very grateful to receive this award. Very grateful for the many opportunities that I have received in my life and the opportunities that I have had.”
Dravid reflected on his career humbly, stating: “I have been lucky enough to play alongside some of the greatest cricketers and lucky enough to travel the world for my country. I have also been lucky enough to be involved in the sport after retirement and am extremely humbled by the opportunities it has given me.”
The former captain also praised Sanju Samson, who was named the Player of the Tournament for his match-winning performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. “It’s great to see Sanju perform well in the last three games, which is very important for India,” Dravid said.
Highlighting Samson’s perseverance, he said: “Sanju has been in and out of the team for a long time. He’s been doing well but has had some tough moments. It’s great to see someone who works as hard as him.”
Dravid added: “It’s great to see it all come together and the success he’s had at such a crucial and important stage of Indian cricket.”
Samson’s game was nothing short of remarkable. The 31-year-old was drafted into the national team after India lost to South Africa and played just five games, scoring 321 runs and scoring three consecutive half-centuries at crucial stages. He scored an unbeaten 97 in the virtual quarter-final against West Indies, followed by 89 in both the semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand.
The wicketkeeper-batsman set several records, hitting 24 sixes (the most in a single T20 World Cup tournament) and scoring 89 in the final, which was his highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, surpassing Marlon Samuels’ 85* in 2016 and Kane Williamson’s 85 in 2021. His 321 runs also became the highest score by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 319 matches in 2014.
