Why Rahul Dravid reprimanded KL Rahul after his century celebration against Pakistan | Cricket News
KL Rahul opened up about a surprising moment from his comeback century against Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup, revealing that head coach Rahul Dravid wasn’t too happy with his post-celebration gesture. The wicketkeeper-batsman, speaking on the 2 sloggers The YouTube show explained that Dravid questioned why he had his back to the dressing room during his celebration, a decision that momentarily irked the Indian coach. “The locker room was on this side, and I had my back to him during the celebration. Rahul Dravid, our coach, was a little upset and asked me why I had turned my back to the dressing room,” recalls Rahul.Also watch:
Rahul clarified that the gesture was not meant to be disrespectful. Instead, it was something deeply personal that came to him during his four to five months of rehabilitation from injury. “I told him, ‘No sir, I didn’t mean that out of disrespect.’ During those months when I was injured, I dreamed of this celebration – like a statue pose. It wasn’t just mine; it felt like it belonged to everyone. That’s why this celebration is so special to me,” he said. The 2023 Asia Cup turned into a memorable comeback story for Rahul. He wasn’t even supposed to play that match against Pakistan, but he was brought in at the last minute after Shreyas Iyer suffered from a back spasm. What followed was a remarkable century, alongside Virat Kohliin one of India’s most dominant performances. Rahul admitted that 2023 was one of the toughest years of his career, marked by a serious thigh injury during an IPL match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru which required surgery. “Oh yes, it was 2023… a very bad year,” he recalls. During his rehabilitation, Rahul said he had to struggle with both physical pain and harsh criticism. “Every morning I woke up and told myself the same thing: that I will be the best player in the world. That’s how I kept motivating myself to continue,” he shared.
