CHENNAI: WHEN RV Pradhan Kumar Urs saw former India captain Rahul Dravid turn up at the SLS Kreedangana (T) Ground on Saturday morning around 8.45 AM, he was not really surprised. His son Anvay's team, Vijaya Cricket Club (Malur), was playing against Young Lions Cricket Club in a Karnataka State Cricket Association third-division match for the Sri Nassur Memorial Shield and Pradhan Kumar thought the 52-year-old was there to watch the match.
But when he saw that Dravid was nominated in the team sheet as a player, he had been doing some knocking by that time in whites, the veteran umpire was pleasantly surprised. "I thought he must be in the camp, normally he comes and be with his players. Only when I saw the nomination list, we came to know. I never expected to put on whites and play," Pradhan Kumar told this daily.
Vijaya CC and Young Lions CC were playing their last league and the winner would go top of Group B. Dravid, who returned to the city two days ago from a Rajasthan Royals camp in Guwahati, turned up for the team as they went on to score 345/7 before restricting Young Lions CC for 321. On the field, Dravid came in at No 6, batted with his son Anvay, who scored 58 off 60, before getting out for 10 runs from eight balls. Swapnil Yelave was the top-scorer smashing 107 from 50 balls.
With the top two teams set to qualify for knockouts, Vijaya CC were looking for a crucial win and Dravid did not take it lightly. "He was serious today. He did not laugh, play cool, nothing. It didn't matter if it was No 4 or 5 or 10 or 11, he wanted their wicket. And the best part was, he made the other players feel so comfortable. He never spoke unless needed. Only when it seemed like the game was slipping away, he talked to the captain and said, 'please change the bowling side. Let the spinner come, please keep a midwicket fielder'. Then they got the prize wicket of the captain Gopinath Saandra N (36-ball 49). That is the thing that makes him a gentleman of cricket, even today," explained Pradhan Kumar, who is the president of the Association of Cricket Umpires Karnataka (ACUK).
The veteran umpire shared a brief moment with the former India head coach while he was batting in the middle as well. "We chatted for a couple of minutes. He played a cover drive and when he came to the non-striker's end, I jokingly said 'same old story continues'. He laughed saying, 'almost for 12 years he hasn't played active cricket'. It was a very great opportunity. And thanks to KSCA, thanks to Dravid for coming and playing in the third division which made everyone, all of us here in the ground, including the players, staff, coaches and spectators, who came from far after coming to know, everybody enjoyed," said Pradhan Kumar who has been an umpire for more than three decades.
"The best part of his stature is he comes at 8.45 AM. He goes for knockings as a regular cricketer. Does not matter that he was a coach for the Indian team. He was the state team captain, Indian team captain, and South zone captain. He never thought he was in a third division game. And it is a morale boost for other people, other players. Even at this stage, he comes and plays in league cricket. That's the importance of his team, his boys to perform well," he added.
This is not the first time Dravid turned up in the division league for his team. Back in 2013, when his team Bangalore United Cricket Club needed crucial points against Friends Union Cricket Club in the KSCA Division II League, Dravid scored a century and helped his team.
Pradhan Kumar remembers officiating a match between BUCC and Sri Jayachamrajendra Cricket Club where they needed a win to get promoted to first division more than a decade ago. "That match they had to win big at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and they finally got to the first division because of Dravid. And today they are still in first division," recalled Pradhan Kumar.
While it is not confirmed yet, it should not come as a surprise if the former India captain puts on his whites and walks onto the field for Vijaya CC come the knockouts of the Sri Nassur Memorial Shield.