Uncapped Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Rana And Chetan Sakariya In Awe Of Rahul Dravid's Cool And Calm Demeanor And Patience

Team India’s uncapped trio of Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Rana, and Chetan Sakariya have heaped high praise on head coach Rahul Dravid lauding the cool and calm demeanor of the former Indian skipper.

With a majority of first-choice Indian players currently in England for the upcoming Test series, Team India’s squad for the white-ball series in Sri Lanka comprises as many as six uncapped players.

In the absence of regular head coach Ravi Shastri, NCA chief Rahul Dravid has taken up the coveted position while veteran southpaw Shikhar Dhawan has been named as captain.

One of the six uncapped players who received as a maiden call-up to the Indian side s Karnataka and RCB’s stylish opener, Devdutt Padikkal.

During a recent edition of ‘Follow the Blues’ on Star Sports, Devdutt Padikkal recalled his first-ever meeting with the legendary Dravid.

Padikkal revealed that he first met Rahul Dravid during a school function in one of the sports day events where the former Indian cricketer had come in his capacity as chief guest.

Recalling his maiden conversation with Dravid, Devdutt Padikkal recalled that he was left awestruck at the humbleness that Dravid displayed.

“Being from the same school, the first time I actually met him was in one of our sports day events, where I had to present him with a bouquet that is when I spoke to him for the first time,” said Padikkal on Star Sports show Follow The Blues.

“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,” added Padikkal.

The left-handed opener further added that having David as mentor is a great feeling and he is looking to pick up a lot of things from the legendary cricketer during his stay in Sri Lanka.

“To have him (Dravid) 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,” said Padikkal.

‘I wish I could bring even one per cent of the patience that Rahul Dravid has within me’- Nitish Rana

Meanwhile, Nitish Rana said that it will be a big achievement for him if he can bring even one percent of the patience that Rahul Dravid boasts of.

‘’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,” said Rana.

Uncapped left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya, on the other hand, stated that he wants to learn from Dravid how he was so determined when teams like Australia used to come hard at him.

He further added that he wants to delve into Dravid’s thought process and the manner in which the former cricketer used to prepare himself.

‘’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,’’ said Chetan Sakariya.

The India-Sri Lanka white-ball rubber will kickstart from the three-match ODI series in Colombo from July 18.

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