Cricket coach Dinesh Lad, who has mentored several cricketers including Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Shardul Thakur, was awarded the Dronacharya Award on Wednesday, November 30 by President Droupadi Murmu at the 2022 National Sports Award 2022 in Rashtrapati Bhavan. He credited his two famous wards, Rohit Sharma and Shardul Thakur for the award.
Dinesh Lad has been mentoring young aspiring cricketers in Mumbai for more than 25 years. At the Swami Vivekanand School in Borivali, he trained a young Rohit Sharma, who went on to become one of the best batters in world cricket. Shardul Thakur also took training from him during his early days as a cricketer. Dinesh Lad’s son Siddhesh Lad is also a professional cricketer, who formerly played for Mumbai and now plays for Goa in domestic cricket.
Speaking to ANI, Dinesh Lad expressed that he received the prestigious Dronacharya Award because of Rohit Sharma and Shardul Thakur. He said,
“It feels great to have received the award. Had Rohit Sharma and Shardul Thakur not performed well, I would not have got this award. I feel I have got this award because of them.”
Cricket coach Dinesh Jawahar Lad gets #DronacharyaAward 2022 (Lifetime Category)#NationalSportsAwards2022 pic.twitter.com/cFRPUszLfa
— DD News (@DDNewslive) November 30, 2022
One Dronacharya awardee has created another Dronacharya awardee: Dinesh Lad
Cricket coach Dinesh Lad further expressed that his students, Rohit Sharma and Shardul Thakur have played well and made him proud. He added it feels great to receive the Dronacharya Award 32 years after his mentor Ramakant Achrekar received it. He said to the ANI,
“This gives me a lot of happiness. My biggest happiness is that I am getting this award 32 years after my guru Ramakant Achrekar. I can say that one Dronacharya awardee has created another Dronacharya awardee.”
Dinesh Lad further expressed that he would like to see all-rounder Shardul Thakur win the Arjuna Award in the future. He added that Rohit Sharma has given him ‘Guru Dakshina’ by doing well for India and winning the Khel Ratna Award in 2020. Shardul Thakur recently played the limited-overs series against New Zealand, while Rohit Sharma was rested for the tour. The duo will be seen in action in the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh.
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