Former India captain-turned-coach Rahul Dravid will be conferred with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the BCCI’s annual Naman Awards, scheduled to be held in Delhi on March 15.
Along with Dravid, will receive the Cricketer of the Year award, while ’s Ayush Mhatre will be recognised for his performances with the Lala Amarnath Award for the best all-rounder in domestic limited-overs cricket. The BCCI is also contemplating bestowing former India captain Mithali Raj with a lifetime award.
Dravid was part of India’s famed ‘Big Four’ batting line-up along with Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. Contemporaries and commentators have often rated him as one of the finest Test batsmen of his generation and among the greatest of all time. The 53-year-old was an integral part of an Indian batting line-up that helped shed the tag of being easy opponents away from home.
His ability to anchor the innings for long periods earned him the nickname ‘The Wall’. While he finished his career with more than 10,000 ODI runs, it was in Test cricket that Dravid was at his most effective, scoring heavily both at home and overseas.
After retiring from international cricket in 2012, Dravid initially took up commentary assignments before moving into coaching. He later took charge of the India Under-19 team, guiding them to the 2018 Under-19 World Cup title with a squad that included the likes of Gill and . During this period, he also worked closely with the India A side.
Dravid was later appointed head coach of the senior Indian team in 2021, replacing Ravi Shastri. Under his tenure, India finished runners-up to Australia at the 2023 ODI World Cup at home before going on to win the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Cricket Association will be honoured as the best cricket association in domestic cricket.
