Rahul Dravid's humility shone through once again as the outgoing head coach refused Rs 2.5 crore extra bonus awarded by the Indian cricket board (BCOI) after their T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados. Dravid took the call to ensure all the members of the support staff of the senior men's team were rewarded with equal bonus prizes.
The BCCI announced Rs 125 crore prize money for Team India members, including the players and the support staff. While the players and Rahul Dravid were awarded Rs 5 crore, the other members of the support staff, including batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip were slated to receive Rs 2.5 crore as bonus. However, a source told, Rahul Dravid told the board that he would only take Rs 2.5 crore as a bonus.
The 15 players who were part of the squad were rewarded with Rs 5 crore each. The support staff members got Rs 2.5 crore while the selectors and the traveling reserves were rewarded with Rs 1 crore each. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and President Roger Binny handed over the prize money to the team after their victory parade in Mumbai on Thursday, July 4.
It's not the first time Rahul Dravid has come up with such a heartwarming gesture. In 2018, after India won the U19 Men's World Cup trophy, BCCI announced Rs 50 lakh prize reward for then coach Dravid, Rs 20 lakh for other members of his team, and Rs 30 lakh for the players. Dravid had asked the Indian cricket board to divide the prize money equally among the coaching staff and the board agreed to his request.
Rahul Dravid had spoken highly of the members of his support staff when he recalled the T20 World Cup triumph during the felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Along with Dravid, the tenures of Rathour, Mhambrey and Dilip also ended.
DRAVID SIGNS OFF ON A HIGH
Dravid signed off on a high, overseeing India's title triumph that ended their 11-year-long wait for an International Cricket Council crown. Dravid had contemplated quitting after the heartbreak of the ODI World Cup final in November last year. However, he decided to stay on and give another shot at winning a silverware when captain Rohit Sharma called him and pursued him to continue. Dravid ended his tenure with two major trophies, including the Asia Cup in 2023, and a runners-up medal in the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship 2021-23.
"We thank Mr Rahul Dravid and his team of support staff for their service and stellar effort in their tenure with Team India. The team enjoyed remarkable success across formats and being crowned champions at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2024 is a moment that the nation will cherish for a long time," board secretary Jay Shah said.
The BCCI appointed Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the senior men's team on Tuesday, July 09. The former India opener has been handed a 3-and-a-half-year contract. Gambhir is expected to have Abhishek Nayar as his assistant coach.
