“Mera Statue Nahi Bana, Tera Banega?” — Rahul Dravid’s Savage Comment Left KL Rahul Speechless

KL Rahul’s iconic century celebration against Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup had a rather unexpected behind-the-scenes story, one that involved an amused yet slightly upset Rahul Dravid.

The India wicketkeeper-batter, who has now become one of the team’s most reliable players across formats, recently opened up about the moment that sparked curiosity among fans, the one where he turned his back to the dressing room after reaching his hundred against Pakistan.

Speaking on the 2 Sloggers Podcast, Rahul revealed that he wasn’t even supposed to play that match.

“I was not supposed to play. Shreyas Iyer was set to start, but he got a back spasm, and I ended up playing that game,” Rahul recalled.

“For those four months when I was out injured, every morning I told myself — ‘I’ll be the best player in the world.’”

When he finally brought up his century off Naseem Shah, Rahul raised his bat and turned away from the dressing room, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Dravid.

“Rahul Dravid, the coach, got a little upset. He said, ‘Why did you turn your back on the dressing room?’ I said, ‘No sir, I meant no disrespect.’”

The batter went on to explain that the gesture came from a dream he had during his recovery.

“In those four-five months that I was out, I had a dream that there was a statue of me, with that same celebration pose. So when I did that, it just came naturally,” Rahul laughed.

Dravid, known for his dry humour, couldn’t resist pulling Rahul’s leg. “He said, ‘Statue tera? Mera nahi bana, tera statue?’” the 33-year-old shared with a grin.

That century in Colombo, a fluent 111* off 106 balls, marked Rahul’s emphatic comeback to international cricket after a long injury layoff.

Alongside Virat Kohli’s ton, his knock powered India to a commanding 228-run win over Pakistan and set the tone for India’s Asia Cup triumph.