163 Facts About Rahul Dravid

Rahul Sharad Dravid is an Indian cricket coach and former captain of the Indian national team, currently serving as its head coach.

Rahul Dravid is colloquially known as Mr Dependable and often referred to as The Wall.

Rahul Dravid helped the Indian national cricket team become a joint-winner of the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, the other winner being Sri Lanka.

Rahul Dravid was named one of the best five cricketers of the year by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2000 and received the Player of the Year and the Test Player of the Year awards at the inaugural ICC awards ceremony in 2004.

Rahul Dravid holds a unique record of never getting out for a Golden duck in the 286 Test innings that he has played during his career.

Rahul Dravid has faced 31,258 balls, which is the largest number of balls faced by any player in test cricket.

Rahul Dravid has spent 44,152 minutes at the crease, which is the highest time spent on crease by any player in test cricket.

Rahul Dravid appeared at the 2012 Indian Premier League as captain of the Rajasthan Royals.

Rahul Dravid has been awarded the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, India's fourth and third highest civilian awards respectively.

In 2014, Rahul Dravid joined the GoSports Foundation as a member of their board of advisors.

In July 2018, Rahul Dravid became the fifth Indian cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Rahul Dravid was born to a Marathi-Speaking Brahmin family in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Rahul Dravid's mother, Pushpa, was a professor of architecture at the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in Bangalore.

Rahul Dravid attended St Joseph's Boys High School and earned a degree in commerce from St Joseph's College of Commerce.

Rahul Dravid was selected to India's national cricket team while working towards an MBA at St Joseph's College of Business Administration.

Rahul Dravid is fluent in Marathi, Kannada, English and Hindi.

Rahul Dravid started playing cricket at the age of 12, and represented Karnataka at the under-15, the under-17, and the under-19 levels.

Rahul Dravid made his Ranji Trophy debut in February 1991, while still attending college.

Rahul Dravid followed it up with a century against Bengal and three successive centuries after.

Rahul Dravid received his first national call to the Indian national cricket team in October 1994 for the last two matches of the Wills World Series.

Rahul Dravid was not selected for the Indian team for the 1996 World Cup.

Rahul Dravid eventually made his international debut on 3 April 1996 at an ODI against Sri Lanka in the Singer Cup held in Singapore immediately after the 1996 World Cup, replacing Vinod Kambli.

Rahul Dravid followed it up with another failure in the next game, scoring only four runs before being run out against Pakistan.

Rahul Dravid was selected for the Indian squad touring England on the backdrop of a consistent performance in domestic cricket for five years.

Rahul Dravid finally made his Test debut at Lord's on 20 June 1996 against England in the Second Test of the series at the expense of injured senior batsman Sanjay Manjrekar.

Rahul Dravid had already been informed that he would play if Manjrekar failed the test.

Rahul Dravid scored another fifty in the first innings of the Third Test.

Rahul Dravid concluded a successful debut series with an average of 62.33 runs from two Test matches.

Rahul Dravid, reflecting back on his Test debut 15 years later, during India tour of England, 2011.

Rahul Dravid had contrasting fortunes in the long and the shorter format of the game.

Rahul Dravid failed to perform well in the series, scoring only 175 runs at an average of 29.16.

Rahul Dravid almost won the Third Test for India with his maiden test hundred in the first innings, scoring 148 runs and another 81 runs in the second innings at Wanderers before the thunderstorms, dim light and Cullinan's hundred helped South Africa draw the match.

Rahul Dravid top scored for India in the series with 277 runs at an average of 55.40.

Rahul Dravid continued his successful run, scoring seven fifties in the next eight Tests that included fifties in six consecutive innings, becoming only the second Indian to do so after Gundappa Vishwanath.

Rahul Dravid scored the first of the four hundreds during the Zimbabwe tour.

Rahul Dravid top scored in both innings against Zimbabwe, scoring 118 and 44 runs respectively; however, India lost the one-off Test.

Rahul Dravid scored 190 and 103 not out in the first and the second innings respectively, becoming only the third Indian batsman, after Vijay Hazare and Sunil Gavaskar, to score a century in both innings of a Test match.

Rahul Dravid played his part in the 10-wicket haul by taking a catch to dismiss Mushtaq Ahmed, who was Kumble's eighth victim in the innings.

Rahul Dravid scored his fourth hundred of the season at Colombo in the first innings of the match.

Rahul Dravid effected a successful run out of Russel Arnold during Sri Lankan innings fielding at short leg.

Rahul Dravid didn't come out to bat in the second innings due to the injury.

Between his ODI debut in April 1996 and the end of 1998, Rahul Dravid regularly found himself in and out of the ODI team.

Rahul Dravid emerged as the highest scorer of the series with 220 runs in five matches at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 68.53.

Rahul Dravid won his first ODI Man of the Match award for the 46 runs scored in the low scoring third game of the series.

Rahul Dravid achieved his first ODI hundred in the 1997 Pepsi Independence Cup against Pakistan in Chennai, despite his team's eventual loss.

Rahul Dravid top scored for India in the quadrangular event with 189 runs from three games at an average of 94.50 and a strike rate of 75.60.

Rahul Dravid drew criticism for not being able to adjust his style of play to the needs of ODI cricket and his lack of attacking capability.

Rahul Dravid subsequently increased his range of strokes and adapted his batting style to suit the requirements of ODI cricket.

Rahul Dravid learned to pace his innings cleverly without going for the slogs.

Rahul Dravid scored a run-a-ball hundred in the first match of the bilateral ODI series that earned him his third Man of the Match award in ODIs.

Rahul Dravid became the top scorer of the series with 309 runs from five games at an average of 77.25 and a strike rate of 84.65.

Standing-in as the substitute wicket-keeper in the third match of the series for Nayan Mongia, who was injured during keeping, Rahul Dravid effected two dismissals.

Rahul Dravid first stumped Graeme Hick off Sunil Joshi's bowling, who became Dravid's first victim as a wicket-keeper, and then caught Neil Fairbrother off Ajay Jadeja's bowling.

Rahul Dravid top scored for India in the tournament, though his last ODI innings was a golden duck against Pakistan.

Rahul Dravid hit consecutive fifties in England against Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire in the warm-up games.

Rahul Dravid made his World Cup debut against South Africa at Hove, scoring a half century.

Rahul Dravid scored only 13 runs in the next game against Zimbabwe.

India's designated keeper Nayan Mongia was injured and left the field at the end of the 9th over during Kenyan innings, forcing Rahul Dravid to keep the wickets for the rest of the innings.

Rahul Dravid set up a record breaking partnership that resulted in 318 runs, the first ever three hundred run partnership in ODI history, with Sourav Ganguly leading India to a 157-run win.

Rahul Dravid scored 145 runs from 129 balls with 17 fours and a six, becoming the second batsman in World Cup history to hit back-to-back hundreds.

Rahul Dravid scored a fifty in the last group match as India defeated England to advance to the Super Six stage.

Rahul Dravid emerged as the top scorer of the tournament with 461 runs from 8 games at an average of 65.85 and a strike rate of 85.52.

Rahul Dravid topped the international runs chart for the 1999 cricket season across all formats, scoring 782 runs during 19 matches.

Rahul Dravid began his post-World Cup Test season with a decent outing against New Zealand in the 3-match home series.

Rahul Dravid set up a 331-run partnership with Tendulkar, which was the largest partnership in terms of runs in ODI cricket history, a record they held for 15 years until it was broken in 2015.

In 1999, Rahul Dravid scored 1,761 runs in 43 ODIs at an average of 46.34 and a strike rate of 75.16, including 6 hundreds and 8 fifties.

Rahul Dravid had moderate success in the bilateral ODI series against South Africa.

In May 2000, while Rahul Dravid was busy playing county cricket in England, he was appointed as the vice-captain of the Asia cup Indian team.

Rahul Dravid scored 157 runs in 4 matches of the tournament, at an average of 52.33, including 2 fifties.

Rahul Dravid played a brisk knock of 41 runs from 49 balls, including five fours and a six, while chasing a target of 63 runs.

Rahul Dravid played a role in Wright's appointment as India's first foreign head coach.

Rahul Dravid scored 200 not out in the first inning and 70 not out in the second, leading India to a 9-wicket victory against Zimbabwe.

Rahul Dravid scored 162 in the drawn Second test to end the series with an average of 432.00, the highest batting average by an Indian in a series across all formats.

Rahul Dravid captained the Indian team for the first time in the fifth match of the bilateral ODI series against Zimbabwe in the absence of Ganguly, who was serving suspension.

Rahul Dravid performed poorly in the first innings of the First Test but displayed strong resilience in Tendulkar's company in the second innings.

Rahul Dravid scored 80 runs in the first of the 5-match ODI series at his home ground as India won the match by 60 runs.

Rahul Dravid had a decent outing in Zimbabwe, scoring 137 runs from 134 balls in the First Tour game and aggregating 138 runs at an average of 69.00 from the drawn Test series.

Rahul Dravid top scored for India in the series with 259 runs from seven matches at an average of 51.80 and a strike rate of 59.81.

Rahul Dravid had decent success in Standard Bank tri-series in the South Africa tour, scoring 214 runs at an average of 53.50 and a strike rate of 71.81.

Rahul Dravid kept wickets in the final two ODIs of the series, effecting 3 stumpings.

However, Rahul Dravid forged a partnership of 171 runs with Dasgupta that lasted for 83.2 overs, taking India to the brink of safety.

Rahul Dravid captained the team in the 'unofficial' Third test in the absence of injured Ganguly, which India lost by an innings margin.

Rahul Dravid returned for Zimbabwe's tour of India but performed below par, scoring a fifty each in the Test series and the bilateral ODI series.

Between the 2002 and the 2006 series, Rahul Dravid was the second-highest scorer overall and top scorer for India across formats, scoring 8,914 runs from 174 matches at an average of 54.02, including 19 hundreds.

Rahul Dravid had a successful outing in the West Indies in 2002.

Rahul Dravid performed well with the bat, aggregating 245 runs at an average of 49.00, including three fifties.

However, Rahul Dravid led the fightback in the second innings with a hundred runs scored as the Indian team managed to earn a draw.

Rahul Dravid completed his second hundred of the series in the process.

Rahul Dravid scored a double hundred in the drawn Fourth Test and earned his second consecutive man of the match award of the series.

Rahul Dravid aggregated 602 runs in the series from four matches at an average of 100.33, including three hundreds and a fifty, and was adjudged joint man of the series along with Michael Vaughan.

Rahul Dravid contributed to India's successful campaign with 120 runs at an average of 60.00 and five dismissals behind the wicket.

Rahul Dravid scored a hundred in the First Test of the three match home series against the West Indies, becoming the first Indian batsman to score hundreds in four consecutive Test innings, but had to retire soon after owing to severe cramps.

Rahul Dravid performed well in the subsequent bilateral 7-match ODI series aggregating 300 runs at an average of 75.00 and a strike rate of 89.82, including a hundred and two fifties.

Rahul Dravid effected 7 dismissals in the series.

Rahul Dravid scored a hundred, leading India to a successful chase.

Rahul Dravid top scored for India in the two-match Test series in New Zealand as India's team slumped to a whitewash.

The idea was that making Rahul Dravid keep wickets allowed India to accommodate an extra specialist batsman.

Rahul Dravid contributed to India's campaign with 318 runs at an average of 63.60 and 16 dismissals.

Rahul Dravid scored 222 runs in the first innings and 73 runs in the second innings, receiving a man of the match award for his efforts.

Rahul Dravid captained the Indian Test Team for the first time in the second game of the series at Mohali in the absence of Ganguly.

Rahul Dravid top scored in the series with 313 runs at an average of 78.25.

However, Rahul Dravid continued to complete his second double hundred of the season.

Rahul Dravid was the last man out for 233 runs as India conceded a marginal first innings lead of 33 runs to Australia.

Rahul Dravid won the man of the match award for his efforts.

Rahul Dravid top scored for India in the series with 619 runs at an average of 123.80 and was awarded player of the series for his efforts.

Rahul Dravid performed moderately well in the ensuing VB series with three fifties in the league stage, all of which came in winning cause.

Rahul Dravid top scored for India in the series with 248 runs at an average of 62.00 and a strike rate of 73.59, and effected four dismissals.

Rahul Dravid's contributions included 99 runs in the First ODI and a fifty during a successful chase in the Fourth ODI.

Rahul Dravid captained India in the first two of the ensuing three-match test series in the absence of Ganguly, who was injured, and led India to their first-ever Test victory in Pakistan.

Rahul Dravid wanted to play against the exhausted Pakistani batsmen, who had been on the field for 150+ overs, in the final hour of the second day's play.

Rahul Dravid was adjudged man of the match for his effort.

Rahul Dravid did not make any significant contribution with the bat in the ensuing Videocon Cup, but scored a fifty in the 3-match bilateral ODI series in England and top scored for India in the failed campaign at the 2004 ICC Champion's Trophy.

Rahul Dravid had a good outing in Bangladesh, where he scored a hundred in the Test series and two fifties in the ODI series, with India winning both series.

In 2005, Rahul Dravid represented Asia XI against the ICC World XI at the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal.

Rahul Dravid top scored for Asia XI with a fifty but could not take his team to victory against the ICC World XI.

Rahul Dravid scored both hundreds during the Second Test, making him only the second Indian and ninth person to have scored two hundreds in the same test on two or more occasions.

Rahul Dravid earned this match's man of the match award for his performance.

Rahul Dravid topped the runs chart in the 6-match ODI series with 308 runs at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 80.00, including a hundred and two fifties.

Rahul Dravid was appointed as captain of the Indian team for the 2007 World Cup, during which India was defeated.

Rahul Dravid received scant support from his teammates as India's team was bowled out for 286 and lost the test.

Rahul Dravid failed in both innings in the third test at Birmingham, as India lost by an innings and 242 runs, one of the heaviest defeats in their history.

Rahul Dravid was dropped from the ODI team in 2009, but was selected again for an ODI series in England in 2011, surprising even Dravid himself since, although he had not officially retired from ODI cricket, he had not expected to be recalled.

Rahul Dravid played his last ODI innings against England at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on 16 September 2011, scoring 69 runs from 79 balls before being bowled by Graeme Swann.

Rahul Dravid was the second-highest run scorer and had taken the highest number of catches in Test cricket at the time of his retirement.

Towards the end of his playing career, Rahul Dravid took on a role as mentor to the Rajasthan Royals' IPL team in 2014.

Rahul Dravid achieved success as coach, with the U-19s reaching the finals of the 2016 U-19 Cricket World Cup.

Rahul Dravid was credited with training future national team players including Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan and Washington Sundar.

Alongside his coaching roles, Rahul Dravid took on several mentor roles, including at the Delhi Daredevils IPL team.

In July 2019, following his four-year stint as coach of the junior teams, Rahul Dravid was appointed Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy.

Rahul Dravid was in charge of "overseeing all cricket related activities at NCA was involved in mentoring, coaching, training and motivating players, coaches and support staff at the NCA".

Rahul Dravid had always been keen on further honing his batting skills in testing English conditions by playing in county cricket.

The talks finally materialized and Rahul Dravid made his county debut for Kent in April 2000.

Rahul Dravid himself had been struggling to score runs in Tests for a while.

Rahul Dravid hit another fifty runs in a draw against Surrey.

The Indian team, Rahul Dravid included, fared poorly in the Asia Cup and failed to qualify for the Final.

Subsequently, Rahul Dravid returned to England to resume his county sojourn with Kent.

Rahul Dravid scored 73 not out in the second innings, leading Kent to a six wicket victory as Warne went wicketless.

Rahul Dravid made sure they stayed put in the First Division by winning the necessary bonus point with an inning of 77 runs.

Rahul Dravid concluded a successful stint with Kent, aggregating 1,221 runs from 16 first-class matches at an average of 55.50, including 2 hundreds and 8 fifties.

Rahul Dravid shouldered Kent's batting single-handedly as the second best Kent batsman.

Rahul Dravid contributed to Kent's county campaign not only with the bat but with his fielding and bowling, taking 14 catches and 4 wickets at an average of 32.00.

Rahul Dravid played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2008,2009 and 2010.

Rahul Dravid is known for his technique, and has been one of the most successful batsmen of the Indian cricket team.

Rahul Dravid has scored 36 centuries in Test cricket, with an average of 52.31; this includes five double centuries.

Rahul Dravid is one of the few Indians whose Test average is better while playing away than at home, averaging almost five runs more on foreign pitches.

Rahul Dravid is not like the other guys who love scoring off every ball, and there is no real weakness in his game either.

Rahul Dravid was involved in two of the largest partnerships in ODIs: a 318-run partnership with Sourav Ganguly, the first pair to combine for a 300-run partnership, and a 331-run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar, which is a world record.

Rahul Dravid holds the record for the greatest number of innings played since debut before being dismissed for a duck.

Rahul Dravid was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2000.

In 2004, Rahul Dravid was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

Rahul Dravid is one of only two batsmen to score 10,000 runs at a single batting position and is the fourth highest run scorer in Test cricket, behind Tendulkar, Ponting and Kallis.

In January 2004, Rahul Dravid was found guilty of ball tampering during an ODI with Zimbabwe.

Match referee Clive Lloyd adjudged the application of an energy sweet to the ball as a deliberate offence, although Rahul Dravid himself denied this was his intent.

Lloyd emphasised that television footage caught Rahul Dravid putting a lozenge on the ball during the Zimbabwean innings on Tuesday night at the Gabba.

Indian coach John Wright defended Rahul Dravid, stating that "It was an innocent mistake".

Wright argued that Rahul Dravid had been trying to apply saliva to the ball when parts of a losenge he had been chewing stuck to the ball; Rahul Dravid then tried to wipe it off.

ICC regulations prevented Rahul Dravid from commenting about the issue, but former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly stated that Rahul Dravid's act was "just an accident".

Rahul Dravid has had a mixed record when leading India in Tests.

One of Rahul Dravid's most debated decisions was taken in March 2004, when he was standing in as the captain for injured Sourav Ganguly.

Rahul Dravid became the first Indian to score a triple century in test cricket with a score of 309.

Rahul Dravid was criticised by Vijay Mallya for not correctly balancing his team after his then-IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore finished seventh out of the eight teams that participated in the 2008 season.

On 4 May 2003, Rahul Dravid he married Vijeta Pendharkar, a surgeon from Nagpur.

Rahul Dravid has been sponsored by several brands throughout his career, including Reebok, Pepsi, Kissan, Castrol, Hutch, Karnataka Tourism, Max Life, Bank of Baroda, Citizen, Skyline Construction, Sansui, Gillette, Samsung, World Trade Center Noida, CRED.