Former India batsman and World Cup winning head coach Rahul Dravid was touched when the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) honored him with a stand named after him at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The tribute, shared with India great Anil Kumble, created a full-circle moment at the ground that has been the backdrop for so much of Karnataka cricket history.
Dravid delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech at the ceremony, it reflects his deep bond with the venue and memories crept into him. The former India head coach called Chinnaswamy his second home and expressed his sincere gratitude for the recognition.
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“It was a second home for me and it was a place where, as Anil (Kumble) said, we probably spent more time here than we spent in our homes. It was a place of great happiness, sometimes of great disappointment, but a place that really gave me everything I am today,” Dravid said at the event.
“I could never be more grateful for what the KSCA and this great ground and this iconic ground has given me in my life,” he added.
The KSCA, led by former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad, who once shared a dressing room with both legends, unveiled the tribute in recognition of Dravid and Kumble’s immense contributions to Indian and Karnataka cricket. Apart from the duo, former Indian women’s captain Shantha Rangaswamy was also honored with a stand named after her.
HOW SPECIAL IS CHINNASWAMY TO DRAVID?
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been the focal point of Dravid’s cricketing life, from the days when he was a small boy in the stands to becoming one of Karnataka’s biggest icons. Dravid talked about spending more time at the stadium than at home.
Dravid also looked back on his childhood visits to the stadium with his father, the moments that first ignited his love for cricket and made the tribute even more personal.
“I am really thankful and grateful that Venkatesh Prasad and his committee thought to name the end after me,” he said.
“My father, many of you may know, loves the game. And he was really instrumental in creating the love for the sport that I have. He brought me here for so many games, not just Test matches but also Ranji Trophy games,” Dravid said.
“Whenever he took leave, he brought me to at least one day’s cricket every match when I was a little boy. I think he would be so proud today to know that his son has an end named after him,” he added.
HOW GREAT WAS RAHUL DRAVID FOR INDIA?
Rahul Dravid remains one of India’s greatest Test batsmen and finished his career second only to Sachin Tendulkar in the national all-time charts. Revered for his resilience, discipline and watertight technique, he served as the cornerstone of Indian batting in some of the team’s most remarkable periods.
His influence has only grown since his retirement. Dravid led India as head coach, guiding the side to the 2024 T20 World Cup crown and ending an 11-year wait for the ICC trophy. He later stepped down and Gautam Gambhir took over as the captain of the team.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 14, 2026