Team India's outgoing coach, Rahul Dravid, refused an extra bonus of Rs. 2.5 crore presented to him by BCCI.
India’s outgoing coach, Rahul Dravid, once again proved that he is a gentleman with his recent gesture. The cricket legend let go of Rs. 2.5 crore extra bonus awarded to him as prize money after India won the T20 World Cup. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had declared Rs. 125 crore for the T20 World Cup-winning Indian team.
After India won the T20 World Cup, BCCI decided to award the team, coaching staff, and support staff a cash reward of Rs. 125 crore. Rahul received Rs. 5 crores, while the other support staff were given Rs. 2.5 crores. However, Rahul requested the board to equalise his bonus to that of the other coaches.
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As per a report in Hindustan Times, Rahul requested equal pay for each coaching staff, which consisted of Vikram Rathore, T Dilip, and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey. A BCCI source talked about Rahul’s humility and stated:
“Rahul wanted the same bonus money (Rs. 2.5 crore) as the rest of his support staff... We respect his sentiments.”
Renowned commentator, Harsha Bhogle praised Rahul’s decision and tweeted how he made humility look cool with his recent gesture. Harsha’s tweet can be read as:
“In a world where 'come-look-at-me' is a disease and paid PR is an acceptable way of life, Rahul Dravid makes humility look cool. It is what we must aspire for in our profession; to achieve greatness and let it rest simply upon us.”
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This isn’t the first time that Rahul has demanded equal pay. He took a similar stance in 2018 while leading India’s U-19 World Cup-winning team. At that time, Dravid received Rs. 50 lakh, while the other members and the support staff were supposed to get Rs. 20 lakh each. Not only did he refuse his payment, but Dravid also requested that the BCCI change the distribution percentage and reward everyone equally. The BCCI then revised the payment, and every member received Rs. 25 lakh each.
On July 9, 2024, Indian cricket captain, Rohit Sharma penned an emotional note for Rahul Dravid. Rohit and Rahul share a warm relationship, and paying homage to Rahul, Rohit shared an array of pictures with him and wrote a long note, an excerpt of which can be read as:
“Since my childhood days I have looked up to you just like billions of others but I was lucky enough to get to work with you this closely. You are an absolute stalwart of this game but you left all of your accolades and achievements at the door and walked in as our coach and came on a level where we all felt comfortable enough to say just about anything to you. My wife refers to you as my work wife and I’m lucky to get to call you that too. This was the only thing missing from your arsenal and I’m so happy that we got to achieve it together. Rahul bhai it has been an absolute privilege to get to call you my confidant, my coach and my friend.”
What do you think about Rahul Dravid’s gesture of demanding equal bonuses for each coaching staff? Let us know.
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