16 July,2021 12:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rahul Dravid in 2019. Picture/ Bipin Kokate
Team India will have as many as 6 uncapped players in the squad that faces Sri Lanka in the upcoming ODI series which begins on July 18. Many youngsters are more than glad to be trained under a class act of Test batting - Rahul Dravid.
Dravid has been selected as Team India's coach for the Sri Lanka tour and he is bringing all his expertise with the bat to the team.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports' Show Follow the Blues, Team India batsman Sanju Samson lavished praise on Rahul Dravid and talks about how he is a great human being, "Each and every individual in the India A side or the juniors going into the Indian team have been fortunate to go through a person called Rahul Dravid. We are very lucky to learn our cricket from him. I remember going to the Rajasthan Royals trials one day - I batted really well - and he came up to me and asked me a question âcan you play for my team?'. So, that was the biggest moment of my life, and I can never forget that. That shows how great a human being he is, and I really enjoy his company."
Team India batsman Devdutt Padikkal talked about how awestruck he is by Rahul Dravid's down to earth nature, "Being from the same school, the first time I actually met him was in one of our sports day events at school, where I had to present him with a bouquet - that is when I spoke to him for the first time. I have always been awestruck by how incredibly calm and gentle a human being he is. To have achieved so much in cricket and to be so down to earth, humble and kind towards everyone is incredible to watch. To have him as our coach, you couldn't ask for anything more and to have a mentor like him beside you, it's just a great feeling, and hopefully, I can pick up a lot of things from him."
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Team India batsman Nitish Rana expressed his desire to develop patience similar to Rahul Dravid, "I have heard that Rahul Dravid as a coach is similar to Rahul Dravid as a player. I wish I could bring even one per cent of the patience he has within me; it will be a big achievement for me."
Team India bowler Chetan Sakaria spoke on how he wants to learn determination from Rahul Dravid, "I would want to learn how he was so determined when the opposing teams like Australia and England; played dominant cricket. I want to understand how he troubled them and how he could achieve so much with sheer determination. I want to learn and understand the process which goes behind that mindset."
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