WATCH: When classy Rahul Dravid fired a delectable 42 off 24 for Rajasthan Royals

Former India captain and batting legend Rahul Dravid maybe known more for his great exploits in Tests and ODIs but he was no mug with the bat in T20Is either – a format that hardly anyone gave him a chance to succeed in when it first started. 

Dravid scored a 21-ball 31, including three consecutive sixes, in his only T20I outing for India against England and also had a decent IPL career to his name for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). 

A dependable anchor, Dravid made a total of 2,145 runs in the IPL while averaging 28.23 with a strike-rate of 115.51 in the twilight stage of his illustrious career. In fact, the great batter had his two most prolific IPL seasons with the bat after bidding adieu to his India career. 

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Rahul Dravid had his two most prolific seasons with the bat for RR.

When Rahul Dravid smashed 42 off 24 in an IPL game

Both those seasons came as captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), a franchise whom Rahul Dravid gave his best as skipper and opening batter. It is while playing for RR that he also produced one of his most attacking innings in T20 cricket. 

Back in the 2012 IPL season, which was held just after he called it quits from international cricket in March, Dravid dominated his way through an eye-catching knock of 42 from just 24 balls. 

With RR chasing a massive target of 197 against the now disbanded Deccan Chargers in Jaipur, Dravid gave his team a blistering start, blazing his willow at an astonishing strike-rate of 175. 

An innings featuring stroke-making of the highest class, that outstanding top-order knock included seven fours and a six. The shot to execute the six was the best of the lot as Dravid extraordinarily hit pacer Dan Christian for a maximum over covers. Just focusing on timing the ball, Dravid went ahead with a lofted cover drive that landed well outside the boundary ropes. 

Rahul Dravid was eventually out only eight shy of what would’ve been a much-deserved half-century but in playing the more dominant partner through his 62-run opening stand with Ajinkya Rahane and helping RR nail the field restriction overs, he did his job commendably.