Rahul Dravid refuses BCCI's extra ₹2.5 cr bonus over rest of his support staff for T20 WC victory
New Delhi: Rahul Dravid, the outgoing head coach of the Indian cricket team, refused an additional ₹2.5 crore as bonus from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Dravid opted to take home only ₹2.5 crore, the same amount as the rest of his support staff.
"Rahul wanted the same bonus money (₹2.5 crore) as the rest of his support staff (bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, fielding coach T Dilip, and batting coach Vikram Rathore). We respect his sentiments," a BCCI source stated.
According to the BCCI's distribution formula, each of the 15 playing members of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad and Dravid were to receive ₹5 crore from the ₹125 crore prize money. The support staff were allocated ₹2.5 crore each, while the selectors and the traveling members of the squad were set to receive ₹1 crore each.
This is not the first time Dravid has upheld such principles. In 2018, as head coach of India’s U-19 World Cup-winning team, he rejected a proposed bonus distribution that would have given him ₹50 lakh while awarding ₹20 lakh each to the support staff and ₹30 lakh each to the players. Dravid insisted on equal bonuses for everyone, resulting in a revised award of ₹25 lakh for each coaching staff member, including himself.
Dravid's tenure as head coach has been marked by consistency in selection and a deep connection with the players. Despite not winning a World Cup as a player, he achieved the milestone as a head coach with India’s T20 World Cup victory. His humility and leadership were evident when players, including captain Rohit Sharma and senior player Virat Kohli, celebrated Dravid’s contribution.
Rohit Sharma, who convinced Dravid to stay on for the T20 World Cup following India's loss in the ODI World Cup finals last year, praised Dravid's impact. "You are an absolute stalwart of this game, but you left all of your accolades and achievements at the door and walked in as our coach and came on a level where we all felt comfortable enough to say just about anything to you," Rohit wrote on Tuesday.
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Successfully overcame major resistance to Karnataka Muslim Convention, says Suhail Ahmed Maroor
Bengaluru: Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota spokesperson Suhail Ahmed Maroor on Saturday said the organisers had successfully overcome what he described as significant resistance to the ‘Karnataka Muslim Convention’, despite a misinformation campaign in the last 24 hours claiming that the event had been cancelled.
Speaking at the convention organised by the Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota at Town Hall in Bengaluru, Maroor began his introductory remarks by reading out the Preamble to the Constitution.
He said the federation had spent the past eight months consulting members of the Muslim community and gathering opinions, with the objective of working for the community’s interests and safeguarding its constitutional rights.
Maroor said the Muslim community has the capacity to gather lakhs of people for religious programmes, but when an attempt was made to mobilise even 1,000 people for a convention focused on political, educational and social issues, questions were raised about who was backing the event, who had funded it, and whether it was for or against any particular political party.
He said the organisers faced considerable pressure, resistance and challenges, and added that many others might have cancelled the programme under such circumstances.
“We are fighting for our rights. We are living in a time when our identity is under threat,” he said.
Referring to the hijab issue, Maroor said the federation had been demanding for the past three years that the government withdraw the order banning hijab. He noted that within three hours of the federation holding a press conference to announce the convention, the government withdrew the order.
He welcomed the government’s decision and expressed gratitude on behalf of the federation.
Maroor said the convention should not be viewed with suspicion simply because the Muslim community had chosen to organise a gathering to discuss its political, educational and social concerns.
He clarified that the programme was not intended as an event against the Congress party or the government, but was aimed at examining what promises the Congress had made to the Muslim community during elections, which of those promises had been fulfilled and which remained pending.
He said the report prepared by the federation analyses both the assurances made by the Congress government and the gaps in implementation.
Maroor added that, for the first time, workers who contribute significantly to the country’s economy were collectively seeking accountability for how their taxes and labour were being recognised.
“This is not being done on behalf of any individual or political party. We are undertaking a small effort on behalf of the community,” he said.
He said that after the convention, the organisers would make efforts to submit the report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, state ministers, the Congress high command and Rahul Gandhi.
Haris Siddiqui of the Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota delivered the welcome address.
