Samit Dravid, the eldest son of great player and head coach of Team India Rahul Dravid, has joined the Karnataka team competing for the prestigious Vinoo Mankad Trophy in 2023. Notably, the squad comprises of 15 players and will compete in the U-19 competition, which is scheduled to occur in Hyderabad from October 12 to October 20.
It’s interesting to note that Dravid’s son will turn 18 on the night before the major domestic event. The outstanding hitter has previously played in U-14 competitions, but this will be his first time playing in that age division. Additionally, the younger son, Anvay, captains the Karnataka U-14 cricket team and plays cricket as well.
Notably, Senior Dravid participated in U-15 and U-17 levels of play in addition to representing Karnataka at the senior level. Additionally, he played at the U-19 level as well. In the coveted Ranji Trophy during the 1991–92 season, Samit Dravid made his state debut. Rahul Dravid, though, would likely be absent because of his coaching duties with Team India in their current ODI series against Australia at home. Therefore, when he enters the cricket field with his bat for Karnataka, he will miss seeing his older kid smash balls out of the park in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.
Samit Dravid preparing the Indian team for the ODI World Cup campaign in 2023
Speaking of his busy schedule, Team India’s head coach Rahul Dravid is now working with the group to get ready for the forthcoming ODI World Cup, which will be held in India starting on October 5. The Men in Blue are honing their final combinations and tactical ideas by playing a 50-over series against Australia while the teams are busy with their final dress rehearsals for the big event.
Notably, the ODI series got underway in Mohali on Friday, September 22. Speaking of the game, Australian captain Pat Cummins chose to bat first after winning the toss. Although Mitchell Marsh dealt the visitors an early blow, opener David Warner got to work with Steve Smith and put together a crucial 94-run stand for the second wicket to lay a solid foundation for the remaining batters. Mohammed Shami, though, made sure that the visitors found it difficult to score runs, and he ultimately finished with a remarkable five-wicket haul (5/51) in his allotted ten overs. As a result, despite the inclement conditions, Australia managed to record a respectable total of 276.
In response, the Indian openers got off to a strong start, and a 142-run partnership between Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad helped India further its lead in the match. Suryakumar Yadav, batting in the middle order, finally contributed with a crucial fifty (50 off 49), while stand-in skipper KL Rahul played a captain’s knock (58* off 63) to lead his team to a decisive victory over the Australians by 5 wickets.