Rahul Dravid Ready to Step Aside

Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid says that if the management of his Indian Premier League team the Rajasthan Royals can find a suitable opening partner for Ajinkya Rahane, one of the finds of the fifth edition of the IPL, he will not think twice about stepping aside from his playing capacity with the side as he already looks ahead to the 2013 season after a moderately successful 2012 season. Although the Royals finished the season with a 10 wicket thrashing at the hands of the Mumbai Indians and failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing in seventh position out of the 9 teams, Dravid himself had an IPL to remember.

The opening pairing of the veteran Indian cricketer and up and coming youngster Ajinkya Rahane was the most successful opening partnership in the IPL and this achievement gave Rahul Dravid immense pleasure. Speaking to the media, he stated that the Rajasthan Royals did not have the services of all rounder Shane Watson for almost three quarters of the tournament and he also stated that his team is not as star studded as the Chennai Super Kings, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Mumbai Indians or the Delhi Daredevils but what they did have was team spirit and that is what took them so close to making the playoff spots.

Dravid himself has scored 462 runs in the 16 matches that he has played while leading the side, which makes him the highest scoring batsman among The Holy Trinity of Indian cricket, namely himself, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

The 39 year old recently retired from international cricket after 15 years at the top of his game and it is being believed that Rahul Dravid is reluctant to continue playing in the next edition and might be given the role of mentor.