Dravid's praise was my prize: Tambe

Pravin Tambe impressed one and all with his stupendous performance in the World T20 League, ending the tournament with the Golden Wicket (The leading wicket-taker of the League). He defied all odds and his age and bamboozled the opposition batsmen with his guile and spin. His story is one of perseverance and determination, of passion and dedication. Tambe ended with 12 wickets from 5 matches at an astonishing low economy rate of 4.10. Tambe said he was grateful to the Rajasthan captain, Rahul Dravid and to the whole management for their unconditional support and guidance which spurred him on to give his best. "You deserve it! You bowled well and played your heart out in the tournament," were the words of his skipper after he received the award. Tambe said that these words meant a lot to him. "Those words actually mean a lot more than this prize. And I felt really happy about that." Tambe wanted to win the final and dedicate it to Dravid, who was playing his last competitive match and thus was disappointed that Rajasthan were not able to go all the way. "I am really very happy to have received the Golden Wicket, but I would have been happier, if in addition to this, my team won the final. We would have been able to give something to Rahul Bhai, this being his last match. The Champions League Twenty20 trophy is a big thing and I would have been really happier had we won it" Tambe added that the experience of rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dravid, Watson, Hodge and Rahane in the Rajasthan dressing room was an enriching one and he would share the wisdom with his pupils. "I have got a lot of guidance from a lot of senior players here. I will take this experience back with me and share it with my students. I have learnt not to give up no matter what, whether it's regarding your selection or whether you are playing a match. You should not give up till the last moment and you will definitely find success." Tambe stated that Ajinkya Rahane's consistent performance in the World T20 League would soon earn him a recall to the national side. "He has been performing well so far and I have a feeling he will make it back to the national side as well. I am happy about the way he is performing. We both come from Mulund (a suburb near Mumbai) so that's makes me even happier." On his thoughts on Tendulkar and Dravid, both of whom played their last match for their respective franchises, Tambe stated that he was very satisfied and grateful that he got the opportunity to play alongside the two legends of Indian and World cricket. "I am really happy that I was playing with two legends today. I couldn't have asked for anything more from God. It is a big thing for me that I got this opportunity."