India’s former head coach Rahul Dravid has opened up on his emotional celebrations after guiding the team to glory in the T20 World Cup. When India lifted their second T20 World Cup title, talisman batter Virat Kohli gave the prestigious trophy to Rahul Dravid, who was all pumped up.

Dravid is known to keep his emotions in check but even he let it flow when the team celebrated the memorable victory after beating South Africa by seven runs in the final at Barbados.

Dravid was also tossed up by the Indian players as a tribute to his successful coaching stint. 

Rahul Dravid said on Star Sports, “You don’t plan these things. In most times, I try to keep my emotions in check as a coach and you are expected to do that. But at that time, I felt really happy for the team. I felt happy for the boys. I felt happy for the support staff. So many people who had worked really hard along with me.”

Meanwhile, under Dravid’s tutelage, India made it to the semifinal of the 2022 T20 World Cup, the final of the World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle, and the final of the ODI World Cup 2023. But the Rohit Sharma-led team failed to cross the final hurdle in all of these big events. Dravid admitted you need some rub of the green to work in your side in major ICC tournaments.

“I had been with the team for 2.5-3 years and we had come close a few times, whether it be the semifinals of the last T20 World Cup in Australia, the World Test Championship final or the 50-over World Cup final in India, and we were just not able to cross the line in those critical moments. In those situations you need a little bit of luck, a little bit of destiny to work your way and that day it was with us,” he stated in the same conversation.

Gautam Gambhir has taken over the head coach role from Rahul Dravid.