Happy Birthday Rahul Dravid! Top 10 lesser-known facts about him that will amaze you
Wildlife Conservationist
Dravid is a passionate wildlife enthusiast and actively participates in conservation efforts. He has adopted two cheetahs, named after his sons, and promotes wildlife awareness campaigns
Engineering Background
He graduated with a degree in engineering from Bangalore University, emphasizing the importance of education alongside his cricketing career
Hockey Player Before Cricket
Before focusing on cricket, Dravid played hockey at school and was selected for Karnatakas junior state team. However, he later realized that cricket was his true calling
Record as a Wicketkeeper
Dravid served as a wicketkeeper for the Indian team during the 2003-04 season due to injuries to the main wicketkeeper. He is also noted for having the most catches as a non-wicketkeeper in Test matches
First Non-Australian Speaker at Sir Don Bradman Oration
In 2011, Dravid became the first non-Australian and the first Indian cricketer to deliver a speech at the prestigious Sir Don Bradman Oration in Canberra
Induction into ICC Hall of Fame
Dravid was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in July 2018, recognizing his significant contributions to cricket
Philanthropic Efforts
He runs the Rahul Dravid Foundation, which focuses on providing education, healthcare, and life skills training to underprivileged children. He also serves as a goodwill ambassador for the Akshaya Patra Foundation
The 'Jammy' Nickname
His nickname Jammy comes from his fathers job at a jam manufacturing company. Additionally, there is a local school tournament named the Jammy Cup in his honor
Longest Consecutive Test Streak
Dravid played 94 consecutive Test matches from his debut in 1996 until he missed his first match in 2005 due to illness
Top Scorer in 1999 World Cup
He was the highest run-scorer in the 1999 Cricket World Cup, accumulating 461 runs across eight matches