Rahul Dravid calls inclusion of cricket in Olympics is truly phenomenal: ‘heard serious dressing room conversations’

Rahul Dravid said that inclusion of cricket for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 is ‘truly phenomenal’. 

"If you love sport as I have, you grow up with the Olympics. My earliest memories are of Carl Lewis winning at the Olympics and television coming to India. We used to be glued to the television sets to watch these great athletes perform and play. You always wanted to be a part of a great event. You have great events in cricket but they are individual events. To be in this kind of environment, energy and vibe is a dream come true for any sportsman," Dravid said

He also said players are excited and he has heard "serious dressing room conversations" about competing in the world's biggest sporting event.

Dravid was a part of an exclusive panel discussion organised by Dream Sports, titled 'Cricket at the Olympics - Dawn of a new Era', at the first ever India House at the ongoing Paris Olympics.

Dravid also reflected on the passion for the sport in the USA and said that there is a huge passion for the game over there.

"We know there is an incredible audience for cricket in the USA. We know that just from the number of people who travel from USA to other World Cup events. There is a huge passion for the game in the USA. Just growing the game and having more people play the game was phenomenal," the former India head coach added.

A self-confessed sports fan, Dravid was eagerly looking forward to cricket's inclusion at the Olympics, saying, "It always felt like cricket should be a part of this. It is truly a great game. It is followed by so many people around the world. It is fantastic for someone like me who is now only a fan. It is truly phenomenal."

The panel also featured the International Cricket Council's (ICC) CEO Geoff Allardice and Harsh Jain, CEO of Dream Sports.