'Players will fight toot & nail': Rahul Dravid predicts fierce battle for Olympic cricket spots in LA 2028

Amidst the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, Rahul Dravid, former India head coach and cricketing legend, has voiced strong support for cricket's inclusion in the Games.

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First Published Jul 29, 2024, 11:54 AM IST | Last Updated Jul 29, 2024, 11:54 AM IST

Amidst the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, Rahul Dravid, former India head coach and cricketing legend, has voiced strong support for cricket's inclusion in the Games.

Speaking at a panel discussion titled "Cricket at the Olympics: Dawn of a New Era," held at the newly opened India House in Paris, Dravid emphasized that players are determined to secure their spots in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. He shared that "serious dressing room conversations" reveal players are prepared to "fight tooth and nail" to compete at this premier global sporting event.

Also read: EXCLUSIVE: Manu Bhaker reflects on Paris Olympics bronze, hopes India secure double-digit medal tally (WATCH)

"I've already heard a few conversations in the dressing room. People are talking about the 2026 T20 World Cup, there is an ODI World Cup in 2027, and you hear people saying there is the Olympics in 2028," Dravid, who also caught up on some tennis action at the Games before coming for the event, said during the discussion.

"People are going to want to win that gold medal, stand on the podium, and be a part of the Games Village, a great sporting event, and interact with so many athletes. As you get closer, I have no doubt that teams will be preparing and checking out facilities. They will take this seriously, and players will fight tooth and nail to be out there," he added.

"You grow up watching the Olympics, seeing Carl Lewis winning the gold medal, watching the great athletes perform. You always want to be part of great events like this. The environment, the energy -- it's a dream come true," Dravid added.

Dravid expressed his hope that India would secure gold medals in both the men's and women's cricket events at the LA Games.

"The dream for me to have a fantastic cricket tournament, hopefully Indian men and women winning the gold which would be nice. Unfortunately, I won't be able to play, but I will make every effort to be in LA in some capacity or another. If not anything else, I will try to get a media job," joked Dravid.

Dravid recently concluded his tenure as India’s head coach following their T20 World Cup victory in the West Indies.

The men's and women's cricket competitions will be held simultaneously at the LA Olympics. ICC CEO Geoff Allardice has stated that cricket is expected to be one of the "star attractions" at the Games four years from now.

"It's quite surreal to be here in Paris, seeing the energy around sport and how it's getting together. Cricket is starting to dawn on the global sporting community. I think cricket will be one of the star attractions in Los Angeles...when you see global stars of big sports around the world competing in one city at a time -- watching Rafael Nadal at tennis this afternoon -- and then if you are in LA, you can watch the best tennis players, best golfers, and the best cricketers. We are going to be very, very strong come 2028," he said.

Also read: PM Modi dials Paris Olympics bronze medallist Manu Bhaker, congratulates her on historic feat (WATCH)

Dravid also reflected on the advancement of women's cricket, noting that it is making significant strides. He highlighted how the growing participation of young players is enhancing the sport’s inclusivity and appeal.

"Women's cricket is already going forward. I don't think it needs anything else. It's fantastic to have it going on concurrently. Even when you talk to people at the grassroots level, to coaches, one of the things they constantly tell you is the level of participation from young girls. Every year in every academy, the percentage is growing exponentially, sometimes even more than the boys. Cricket is becoming a lot more inclusive and attractive. This could potentially be a career. You would not have said that five or six years ago. That's what we want to see," Dravid said.

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