July 1st 2024.
Bridgetown: As his time as India's head coach came to an end, Rahul Dravid continued to uphold his strict and disciplined reputation by giving star batsman Virat Kohli a task to complete. This happened just hours after India's victory in the T20 World Cup, adding to their list of achievements under Kohli's leadership.
In a video shared by the ICC on their Instagram page, Dravid can be seen telling Kohli, "All three white ticked off, one red to go. Tick it." By "three white", he was referring to the limited-overs global trophies - the T20 World Cup, the ODI World Cup, and the Champions Trophy - all of which Kohli has successfully won as a player. The only one left to conquer is the World Test Championship Final.
Unfortunately, India has previously lost the WTC Final twice. However, Kohli, who recently announced his retirement from T20 Internationals, simply smiled at Dravid's words, knowing the importance of the task at hand. "Go tick it," Dravid repeated, with a warm smile on his face.
At 51 years old, Dravid's tenure as India's coach came to an end with this event. India's victory against South Africa by seven runs in a nail-biting final secured their second T20 world title, the first being in 2007 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy in South Africa. In the ODI format, India has also won the 1983 and 2011 World Cups, along with the 2013 Champions Trophy.
The celebratory video also featured Suryakumar Yadav, who made a crucial catch to dismiss David Miller in the final. When asked about his feelings, the Mumbai native admitted that it would take him at least two days to fully comprehend the enormity of their achievement. "No feelings right now, I don't know what to say," he said.
Pacer Arshdeep Singh proudly displayed two polaroid shots - one taken on the morning of the final and the other with the winner's medal around his neck and the trophy in his hands. "This is what belief can do," he remarked, highlighting the team's unwavering confidence and determination.
Currently, the Indian team is stranded in Barbados as the country has been shut down due to hurricane Beryl, originating in the Atlantic. The category 4 hurricane has intensified with maximum sustained winds of 210 kmph. The team was supposed to fly back to India on an Emirates flight via Dubai, but now, they plan to arrange for a charter flight to bring back the entire contingent, which includes support staff, families, and officials, consisting of about 70 members.
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