Paris Olympics 2024: Former India coach Rahul Dravid looks dapper at India House; discusses cricket's inclusion in Olympics

    Rahul Dravid is currently in Paris to attend the inaugural India House at Parc de La Villette during the Olympic Games 2024.

    Rahul Dravid and India House

    Rahul Dravid and India House

    As 117 Indian athletes strive to give their best at the Paris Olympics 2024, former Indian men's cricket team coach Rahul Dravid has also arrived at the venue, but for a different reason. After recently seeing his team win the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 held in the USA and West Indies, he is now in Paris to attend the inaugural India House at Parc de La Villette. The event features a panel discussion titled "Cricket at the Olympics: Dawn of a New Era," celebrating the inclusion of the sport in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

    Wearing a black suit, the former India cricketer looked dapper. The official Olympic Khel account for India on X (formerly known as Twitter) shared a picture, captioning it, "The former coach of Team India, Rahul Dravid, is in #Paris2024!"

    What is India House?

    The Indian Olympic Association and the Reliance Foundation worked together to create the nation's first-ever dedicated venue during the Olympics. Joining Rahul Dravid on the panel will also be Harsh Jain, the CEO and co-founder of Dream Sports, and Geoff Allardice, the CEO of the International Cricket Council.

    The panel discussion will shed light on several topics related to cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The prospects for cricket's expansion in both developed and developing markets will be discussed by the speakers as well.

    Furthermore, the conversation will include methods for utilizing cricket enthusiasts' worldwide fervour. At the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, cricket will finally return to the Olympics after it last featured in 1990 at the Summer Games.

    About Cricket in the USA:

    The West Indies and the United States co-hosted the ninth edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2024, which ran from June 1 to June 29. It was the first major ICC tournament with matches played in the United States. As part of larger initiatives to grow and promote cricket in the United States, where the sport has a sizable following among South Asian Americans, USA Cricket served as co-host. 

    The United States played a significant role in the early history of cricket, even though the sport has never taken off in the nation. It is connected to American cricketer Bart King, who is recognized for having invented the swing bowling method.