Rahul Dravid and Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami play cricket at inauguration of a new stadium

Former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid was in Tamil Nadu on Sunday where he inaugurated the— Salem Cricket Foundation (SCF) ground at Valapadi. Located at a distance of nearly 25 km from Salem town, the ground with a play area of 90 meters is the biggest in the state of Tamil Nadu. The ground also includes 5 turf wickets and 12 turf practice wickets to go along with players pavilion and press boxes.

Former BCCI President and ICC chief N Shrinivasan, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association President Rupa Gurunath were also present at the inauguration done by the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

“The ground is a pioneering effort for Salem and will be helpful in grooming the cricketers from the district to play at higher levels,” he said as quoted by Sportstar.

‘I wish I could’ve played here’: Rahul Dravid

Both Dravid and Palaniswami then proceeded to play cricket after the end of the inauguration ceremony. Dravid wished he could play cricket at the ground but said he is too old to do so. The former Indian captain, who believes that infrastructure is one of the breeding ground for any young talent, is confident that the next generation of Indian cricketers will emerge from the small towns and cities.

“I wish I could have played here, but unfortunately I am too old and not fit enough. I firmly believe that the next generation of young cricketers will surface from smaller towns and cities as powerhouses of talents” Dravid said.

Ever since he retired from international cricket back in January 2012, Dravid has been actively involved in nurturing the next generation of Indian cricketers. Under Dravid, the Indian U19 team went on to become world champions when they defeated Australia in 2018 and even though the batch of 2020 fell short at the final hurdle, a plethora of gems have been unearthed under the tutelage of Dravid.

Meanwhile, former ICC and BCCI chief N. Srinivasan said: “We look forward to having an IPL match in the near future in this ground. Chennai Super Kings will be keen on having the ground as second home turf.”

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