Happy birthday Rahul ‘The Wall’ Dravid!

As one of India’s finest batsman, Rahul Sharad Dravid turns 41 today, here are some of his lesser known facts. Take a look:

• Australian fast bowler, Glenn McGrath once said that if there was one Indian player who could get a direct entry into the famous Australian team of the late 90s, it would be Rahul Dravid.
• Rahul was honoured as one of the top 5 Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2004. He was also named the ICC Player of the Year and the Test Player of the Year at the inaugural awards ceremony held in 2004.
• Dravid is the only player in the history of cricket who made his debut and retired in the same match. He played his only T20, against England last year and scored 31 off 21.
• Known for his charm and suave, Rahul was often a hit amongst the ladies. In an online survey conducted in 2004-05, Rahul won the sexiest sports personality in India beating the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Sania Mirza.
• Did you know that Dravid played hockey before he took to cricket! With a natural flair for the sport, he was even chosen to represent Karnataka’s junior state team.
• Dravid is also an avid football fan and follows English Premier League side, Arsenal.
• It is well known that Dravid was nicknamed Jammy because his father worked in a company which manufactured jams. Not many though, know that there is also a local school tournament named after the veteran batsman. The ‘Jammy Cup’ is held in Bangalore and the man-of-the-match gets the title of ‘Jammy of the Day.’
• Dravid was the top scorer in the World Cup held in England(1999), with 461 runs

  During his earlier years, Rahul often made appearances on TV shows and ad commercials. In most popular show on MTV – MTV Bakra, Rahul was proposed by a woman. He was seen advising the 20-year-old (wannabe) Mrs Dravid about education and concentrating on other things in life apart from her obsession for him.

• After retiring from the IPL, Rahul will be seen donning a new role – mentor to the Rajasthan Royals