The ‘gentleman’ Rahul Dravid has given another fine example of his character, deciding to let go of half of the INR 5 crore prize money that he was to get from the pool of Rs. 125 crore that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced for the T20 World Cup-winning Indian team. After Rohit Sharma’s men beat South Africa in the final to clinch the title, the BCCI announced that a total of Rs. 125 crore will be given to the team, coaching staff, and support staff as a cash reward. The cut for head coach Rahul Dravid came out to be INR 5 crore while the other coaches in the team were to be given Rs. 2.5 crore.
As per a Hindustan Times report, Dravid asked the board to reduce his cash reward to Rs. 2.5 crore too as he didn’t want to get more money in comparison to the batting, bowling, and fielding coaches.
“Rahul wanted the same bonus money (Rs. 2.5 crore) as the rest of his support staff (bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, fielding coach T Dilip and batting coach Vikram Rathore). We respect his sentiments,” a BCCI source said, as per the report.
What’s to be noted is that Dravid had taken a similar stance as the head coach of India’s winning U-19 World Cup team of 2018. At that time, Dravid was to get INR 50 lakh while the other members of the support staff were to get Rs. 20 lakh each. The players were to earn Rs. 30 lakh each, as per the formula. Dravid refused such a bifurcation, forcing the BCCI to change the distribution percentage and reward everyone equally.
The board then issued a revised list of cash awards that saw every member of the support staff earn INR 25 lakh, including Dravid.
Time and again, Dravid has drawn plaudits for his selfless style. Even as a batter during his active playing days, he put the interests of the team first. As a coach, Dravid continues to bat for the people he work with.
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