Known For His Calm Demeanour, Rahul Dravid Once Threw His Cap In Anger

Bhargav Dixit

Rahul Dravid throws his cap. [Source: @Ipl_scoop & @InoxentJunaid4/X]Rahul Dravid throws his cap. [Source: @Ipl_scoop & @InoxentJunaid4/X]

Stakes have always been on the higher side in the Indian Premier League. As a result, there have been incidents where even the biggest names have lost control over their emotions in the public space.

Former Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid, who was into his first season as the mentor of the franchise, allowed anger to get the better of him in 2014. Known for his calm demeanour for most part of a nearly two-decade long playing career in international cricket, it took one season in a non-playing capacity for Dravid to express outrage.

Having Failed To Qualify, Rahul Dravid Threw His Cap In Anger

It all happened during the 56th match of the seventh season of the IPL when Rajasthan failed to qualify for the playoffs by the smallest of margins. Put in to bat first by then-Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma at the Wankhede Stadium, the visitors put on board 189/4 in 20 overs.

Having won just six matches until then, Indians not only needed to win but win big in order to trump Royals on NRR (Net Run Rate). As per the calculation, the home team needed to seal a 190-run chase in just 14.3 overs to have a better NRR than the opposition.

Needing eight runs off two balls to qualify, a James Faulkner six was enough for Ambati Rayudu to hit a six to bring down the equation to two off one. In an attempt to complete the second run on the following delivery, Rayudu fell short of his crease.

At once, it appeared to everyone that RR have qualified. If a run rate in excess of 13 and the overall drama around the situation wasn’t enough, MI had one last chance to qualify. A boundary on the fourth delivery of the 14th over would’ve still powered them to the playoffs because NRR takes into account number of runs scored and not the target.

Facing his first delivery of the night, wicket-keeper batter Aditya Tare was able to thwack a Faulkner full toss over the boundary line to stun one and all. What followed was unmatched jubilation for Mumbai at their home ground.

Arguably The Biggest Setback In RR History

Rajasthan, on the other hand, couldn’t believe their destiny. The setback was such that even someone of Dravid’s personality was indignant enough to throw his cap in frustration.

“Not one of my proudest moments, but I have always tried to be someone able to manage [his] emotions and control his emotions,” Dravid admitted in an interaction with CRED in 2021.

Speaking to Star Sports a couple of years ago, Tare had revealed how he had made up his mind to hit a six in spite of knowing how even a boundary would do the work for Indians that night.