Rahul Dravid, T20WC-winning coach, gets standing ovation on winning CEAT lifetime achievement award; Kohli honoured too

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Former India head coach Rahul Dravid, on Wednesday, received a stunning reception from the audience as he was handed the lifetime achievement award at the CEAT Cricket Awards for his great services to the sport. Dravid had stepped down from his post in the Indian men's cricket team after the side beat South Africa to lift the T20 World Cup on June 29.

Life came full circle for Dravid at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown in June after he guided the Indian team to their first-ever ICC trophy win in 11 years, a maiden world title in 13 years, and the first T20 World Cup win in 17 years. It was in the West Indies, where India, under the leadership of Dravid, had suffered a humiliating group-stage exit in the 2007 ODI World Cup. He later missed the cut to make the 2011 ODI World Cup team. But Dravid completed a stunning redemption journey with India's T20 World Cup title haul.

Overall, Dravid played 164 Tests, 244 ODIs and a solitary T20I match for India during his illustrious career that spanned close to 18 years. He scored 13288 runs in Tests, which remains the fourth-best career tally in the all-time list, laced with 36 tons and 63 fifties; and 10889 runs in ODIs, the 10th-best tally in world cricket, comprising 12 centuries and 83 half-centuries.

Besides his career as an international cricketer, Dravid's contribution to the sport also comprises his role as a mentor for IPL franchises like Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils. He also served as the head coach of the under-19 Indian team, which includes a World Cup title-winning run in 2018, and that of India's A team, following which he was appointed Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), before he joined the Indian men's team as the head coach.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami honoured too

Kohli was recognised for his excellence during the CEAT awards, as he won the best ODI batter of the year award. He scored 1377 runs in 2023, laced with six centuries and eight fifties. His best performance came in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he emerged as the leading run-getter with 765 runs in 11 games at 95.62, during which he equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record for most centuries in the format.

India captain Rohit Sharma won the men's International cricketer of the year award for his outstanding show across formats. He scored 1800 international runs in 2023, of which 1255 runs came in the ODI format at 52.59, comprising his run tally of 597 runs in the ODI World Cup (second-highest).

Shami, on the other hand, won the award for the best ODI bowler of the year. His best performance, too, came during the World Cup, where he picked up 24 wickets in just seven matches at a strike rate of 12.20, comprising two five-wicket hauls.