Asia Cup 2023: Sanjay Manjrekar calls Rahul Dravid a 'nakli' Maharashtrian, here's why

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, who has on multiple occasions raised eyebrows with his controversial comments, has brought up a fresh storm with his comments on Rahul Dravid.

Dravid is one of the highly respected former cricketers in the world and the current head coach of the Indian cricket team.

In a statement that won't go down well with the fans of Rahul Dravid - who is also hailed as 'The Wall', Manjrekar referred to the former Karnataka cricketer as a 'fake Maharashtrian', or 'Nakli Maharashtrian', alleging that despite his Marathi upbringing, Dravid converses with him in English and not Marathi, his mother tongue.

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, Manjrekar on official broadcasters Star Sports referred to Dravid as 'nakli' Maharashtrian and said, "Whenever we talk, it is English, not Marathi."

Rahul Dravid's Family, Roots and Early Life

Rahul Dravid, a name synonymous with Indian cricket's golden era, was born to a Marathi-speaking Brahmin family in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. His early life saw a move to Bangalore, Karnataka, where he was nurtured and honed his cricketing skills.

Despite his Marathi roots, Dravid has always been associated with Karnataka, representing the state at various levels in domestic cricket. His father, Sharad Dravid, was an employee of a well-known jam company, and his mother, Pushpa, was a professor of architecture at the prestigious University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in Bangalore.

Dravid's familial ties to Maharashtra do not just remain with his birth family but extend to his wife as well. Vijeta Pendharkar, whom he married in 2003, hails from Nagpur, Maharashtra, strengthening Dravid"s association with the state.

Rahul Dravid's Current Role

Bearing an illustrious past as a cricketer, Dravid has now taken the mantle as the head coach of the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team. Currently, under his charge, the team is participating in the Asia Cup 2023 held in Sri Lanka. The first match saw India pitted against its arch-rival, Pakistan, in what promises to be an adrenaline-pumping showdown in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Unwanted Comments from Manjrekar

Statements like Manjrekar's, while controversial, serve to remind us of the diversity and the many layers of personal and regional identity that exist within our country, and within the Indian cricket team as well.

Regardless of the language Dravid chooses for communication, his contribution to Indian cricket - both as a player and as a coach - is undeniable and far exceeds any identity constraints. The richness of Rahul Dravid's legacy is not bound to, or lesser for, the languages he speaks, but lies in the strength and spirit of his cricketing prowess.