THE PILLAR TO THE WALL

From success to failure, a cricketer in India goes through it all. The massive fandom and the immense love from the cricket-loving nation of more than a billion people come with the heavy burden of dreams, devastated fans’ disappointment and outrage. But one thing stayed consistent in Rahul Dravid’s life love and support from his better half, Vijeta Pendharkar.

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Rahul Dravid is a name in cricket that does not need an introduction. He is a legend of Indian cricket, a successful batsman, wicketkeeper, captain, a Padma Bhushan awardee and now a World Cup winning coach. Rahul Dravid has been a household name for the last three decades and made his place among some of the greatest sportsmen ever born on this land. However, his private life, especially his love story with his wife Vijeta Pendarkar, has not been very well-known to the fans. In a country where cricketers go under the microscope for every little thing, Rahul and Vijeta have successfully kept their family life simple and private. And in this simplicity, the greatness of their love story lies.

The Young Love

Rahul Sharad Dravid was born on January 11, 1973, in a Brahmin family in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. He spent his childhood in Bangalore, Karnataka and did his schooling in the city. Rahul’s mother was a professor at the University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and his father worked at the company named Kissan, renowned for producing jam. Hence, Rahul’s friends gave him the nickname ‘Jammy’, which has stayed with him throughout his cricketing career. He also has a younger brother named Vijay. Rahul got selected for the team while pursuing his MBA. He started playing at the age of 12 and has represented Karnataka in U-15, U-17 and U-19 cricket before playing internationally. He made his debut in international cricket in 1996 in an ODI match against Sri Lanka in the Singer Cup held in Singapore.