The boys will turn it around, says Rahul Dravid

The Wall — Rahul Dravid, the former Indian batsman and now a coach, believes that cricket is a game which is skill-based. Giving reasons for his belief, he said, “Now, a lot of young girls are also taking up the game, and we have seen that — be it in IPL teams or junior-level teams of India. A lot of players are coming from smaller towns and cities of the country. Why is that? It’s because they are getting opportunities. They now have access to facilities and training. Another reason they pursue cricket is  that it doesn’t need educational qualifications. You don’t need PhDs or college degrees. If you have skill, talent and capability, and you are willing to put in hard work, you can achieve a lot in this sport. If you have the passion, nothing can stop you. It’s not that only if you are from a big city or a big institute will you grow in life.”

Speaking at the IL&FS Institute of Skills in Okhla, Rahul, along with his Delhi Daredevils team, visited the center on Monday afternoon to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Skill India. The event was organised in partnership with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and was also attended by several players including Mohammed Shami, Karun Nair, Kagiso Rabada, Ankeet Bawne and Rishabh Pant, and also by Rajiv Pratap Rudy, minister of state for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and former minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.

While many kids have aspirations of becoming cricketers, only a few are able to live their dreams. So, how can parents have faith that unlike college degrees, sports will get their children a steady income? The former Indian team skipper answered, “There is a huge craze for cricket. You have to sacrifice everything to play cricket at the highest level because it is so competitive today. It’s obvious for parents to be nervous. We are fortunate that we could pursue cricket as our careers and earn money through it. If we can have a situation where people who couldn’t make it big, can take up the role of coaches, nutritionists or fitness trainers — as cricket is growing by leaps and bounds — then parents will have some sort of confidence in letting their kids pursue sports and make a career out of it.”    

When asked how cricket will help the initiative, Rahul said, “We will try our best to pass on the message of Skill India initiative. In sports also, you need people with skilled employees and we can help in bringing companies looking to hire them, on board.”    

Before signing off, he asked fans to have faith in the team. “We have confidence in our players. We are halfway through the tournament and we have played some good cricket. We have lost a few close games. It’s a funny situation that we are sixth on the points table and have the highest net run rate. I am sure the boys will turn it around in the next seven or eight games,” said Rahul.