Former Indian fielding coach T Dilip has revealed that the former Indian captain Rohit Sharma approved his idea of having a separate medal for the best fielder of the game during the Asia Cup campaign.
Speaking to RevSportz, Dilip strolled down memory lane to recall that he wanted to have three separate medals for batting, bowling and fielding. However, Rohit suggested that batters and bowlers are recognised with the POTM award, and it is important to do something for fielders.
“It was during the Asia Cup that the idea first came to me, and I remember taking it to captain Rohit Sharma over breakfast. I had originally envisaged medals for all departments – batting, bowling and fielding – and proposed the idea to Rohit. It was Rohit who suggested that batting and bowling always get recognised with the Player of the Match award, so we needed to do something for fielding. That’s when we zeroed in on the fielding medal,” T Dilip said on RevSportz.
“The first day when we presented the medal is always going to be very special for me. It was something new, and none of us knew whether it would work. That the medal now has a life of its own makes the first day a cherished memory,” he added.
Furthermore, Dilip disclosed that the then head coach Rahul Dravid also approved the idea, adding that he was hugely supportive of the idea. Notably, the idea turned out to be an excellent one as India improved its fielding comparatively.
“We went to Rahul Dravid, the head coach, and Rahul bhai, as always, was hugely supportive of the idea. For Rahul bhai, it was always team first, and this fitted in very well with his vision. However, I have to say none of us thought that it would become as big,” said T Dilip.
