"Sachin Tendulkar Should Play Little Faster": Ex-India Star Reveals Intriguing Chat With Rahul Dravid

RP Singh has been part of several big campaigns for the Indian cricket teams. The left-arm pacer played 14 Tests, 58 ODIs and 10 T20Is at a time when Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid were still active cricketers. RP has seen the two cricketers up close and recently narrated an interesting incident on the two. "There was a Ranji Trophy match going on in Meerut, Karnataka vs Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Dravid bhai had come to play and scored 199 runs. That night, we went to dinner at someone's house. India's match was going on that day, and Sachin paaji was batting. He was playing a run-a-ball innings. We were both sitting on the side, and people were saying, ‘Sachin should play a little faster.' But he was playing according to the situation of the match. Rahul bhai whispered in my ear, ‘If they are saying so much to him, then how much would they have said to me?'" RP Singh said on JioHotstar special 'Cheeky Singles'.

Rudra Pratap Singh also recalled the moment when a fan tossed a cake towards him and asked him to cut it during India's victory parade in Mumbai after the fabled T20 World Cup title victory in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007. More than seventeen years ago, India etched their names in the history books by lifting the inaugural T20 World Cup title in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Under Mumbai's gloomy sky, India held an open bus victory parade, and fans turned up in numbers to welcome the crowned champions. The 39-year-old shared a less-heard story that took place during the moment of jubilation.

"We won the T20 World Cup in South Africa, celebrated there, and then landed in Dubai, where a few people congratulated us for lifting the trophy. When we finally landed in Mumbai, we thought we had achieved something special, but the celebration parade was beyond anything I had imagined," RP Singh said in the latest episode of
"The roads were closed, and people were throwing things, chocolates, and even a small cake that someone tossed towards me saying, 'Please hold it and cut it.' I told them, 'Don't do this, it might fall.' It was raining, yet the crowds' energy was electric, with people celebrating wildly alongside us," he added.

In the final, it was India's arch-rival, Pakistan, who stood as the final hurdle between MS Dhoni's side and the coveted title. In a nerve-wracking thriller, a collective effort from the players got India across the line, crowning them as the first team to clinch the title.

He played a pivotal role in steering India to the famed title. Rudra Pratap spearheaded India's lethal pace attack and concluded the tournament as the second-highest wicket-taker with 12 scalps. He announced his international retirement in 2018 after making 82 appearances for India across all formats and scythed 124 wickets.

With ANI inputs 

Topics mentioned in this article

Sachin Tendulkar Rahul Dravid RP Singh Cricket