'Indiranagar ka Gunda': Rahul Dravid recalls cricket story behind viral CRED ad
Dravid's angry side was displayed to the broader audience in the CRED advertising, which was released earlier this year.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid remembered the cricketing story that he believes inspired the iconic CRED commercial featuring him. In a recent video broadcast on CRED's official YouTube channel, Dravid revealed that an incident in 2014, when he was the mentor of IPL side Rajasthan Royals, may have prompted scriptwriters to produce the amusing commercial. Dravid's angry side was displayed to the broader audience in the CRED advertising, which was released earlier this year. Dravid played himself in the commercial, but he was not his typical self, who is known for his calm demeanour.
"Not one of my proudest moments. I have always tried to be someone who is able to control his emotions but the thing with international cricket is that there is always a lot of pressure on you, there are a lot of eyeballs, there is a lot of focus on everything you do; all your actions both on and off the field. I think one of the ways to be your best or to be performing at your best is to be able to maybe shut out the noise. A large part of it has come naturally but a large part of it I have also had to work on. I realised that when I stay calm and I stay relaxed, I perform at my best," Dravid said in the interview.
"There is this famous video of me throwing my cap after a game in 2014 that we lost at the Wankhede stadium. So, I think maybe the idea of the CRED ad really came from scriptwriters watching that piece of video and seeing that I can get really angry if I need to. Obviously, this occasion was one of those where I lost it and I couldn't do that but that happens. And it's not the first time it has happened to me but it was the first time it happened publicly, the other times it might have happened in the privacy of a dressing room," Dravid added.
What happened in IPL 2014?
Dravid, who is known for his patience and calm nature, lost his cool when Mumbai Indians defeated Rajasthan Royals in one of the IPL games in 2014. Dravid was seen throwing his cap in anger after his side failed to prevent a boundary and lost a chance to advance to the playoffs.
As far as the CRED advertisement is concerned, the Karnataka cricketer showcased his never-seen-before side as he was seen yelling at people and smashing car windows while shouting, "Indiranagar ka Gunda hu main" (I am the goon of Indiranagar). The advertisement garnered a lot of attention across all social media platforms as people were amazed to see Dravid's incredible acting skills.