Rahul Dravid: After 2003, World Cup trophy evades legend again in 2016

In 2003 the Men in Blue were pulverized by a superior Australian side, on Sunday they were stunned by Windies.

New Delhi: Though the purpose of the ICC U-19 World is to help promote the future stars of world cricket, during this particular edition there was added focus on a legend of the game.

With Rahul Dravid arriving in Bangladesh with the Indian colts, he was bound to be center of attention for one and all.

“The attention on me has been much more than it should have been here. This tournament is for these young boys. That's one problem with me being around with a team,” the former India captain was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

From Pakistan to Canada, every team wanted to talk to Dravid and get him to address their respective players during the tournament.

Under 'The Wall' the Indian team looked nearly invincible until the finals day on Sunday when nothing really went right for his side from the very first ball.

The disappointment in the Indian camp will be immense considering they were overwhelming favorites to win the final.

“I have not spoken to the boys yet. I am disappointed for them. It's tough for a lot of these young kids but it's hopefully a start of the journey for them,” said Dravid.

For Dravid personally, this was his second trip to a World Cup final. In 2003 he made it as a player and in 2016 as a coach.

Back then the Men in Blue were pulverized by a superior Australian side, while on Sunday they were stunned by Windies.

But Dravid seems to have enjoyed this three-month stint with the future stars of Indian cricket and hopes that his boys have taken lessons from this journey.

“I knew I'd be spending three months with them. My idea was really to leave them with some thoughts and create an environment where they learn and also have fun. The idea was to win this cup, but even if that didn't happen, the lessons that they take from it should hopefully hold them in good stead,” he further added.