Rahul Dravid on cricket’s Olympic debut at LA 2028: Veteran batsman Rahul Dravid, who has been a staunch supporter of cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics, said cricketers are extremely excited to be a part of the Games and he has heard ‘serious conversations in the dressing room’ about competing in the world’s biggest sporting event, the Mahakumbh. .
Cricket will be in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Cricket has been included in the Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles in 2028. In this regard, Dravid is in the French capital to participate in a panel discussion on the topic ‘Cricket in the Olympics: The beginning of a new era’.
Former Indian captain and coach Dravid said, ‘I have heard serious discussions in the dressing room in this regard. People are also discussing about the T20 World Cup to be held in 2026 and the ODI World Cup to be held in 2027 along with the 2028 Olympic Games. I heard them saying that the Olympics is in 2028.
He said, ‘Cricketers also want to win gold medals, stand on the podium, and want to be a part of the sports village, a big sporting event, and interact with so many players.’
Dravid said, ‘I am sure that when the next Olympics is around the corner, cricketers will be preparing for it. They will take it seriously and the players will work hard to get there.
Dravid hopes India will win cricket gold
During the discussion at India House in Paris, International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Geoff Allardyce was also present along with this great batsman. Dravid expressed hope that India will win gold medals in both men’s and women’s categories in the Olympic Games to be held after four years.
He said, ‘We have grown up watching the Olympics. We have seen Carl Lewis winning the gold medal. Have seen great players perform. You always want to be a part of such great events. This is truly a dream come true.
Dravid said, ‘I have a dream of a great cricket tournament. I hope that the Indian men’s and women’s teams will win gold medals. But I wish even more for everyone present here. So many Indian fans will be able to come to Los Angeles to support cricket and show the rest of the world how big and great a game cricket is.
‘Unfortunately I won’t be able to play, but…’
Dravid, who stepped down as head coach after India’s T20 World Cup win, jokingly said, ‘Unfortunately I will not be able to play, but I will make every effort to be there in some capacity. If nothing else, I will try to be there as a media person.
Dravid also defended the decision of playing the morning match in America during the T20 World Cup and said that there was no problem in it.
He said, ‘To be honest, I don’t think starting at 10.30 in the morning was any problem for me. We are in the entertainment business, catering to the needs of people who want to watch sports. I had no problem with it at all.