Rahul Dravid, who made his debut in ODIs on April 3, 1996, against Sri Lanka at Singapore, over the years, became an adept middle-order finisher due to his classical batting technique, and was considered as the best middle order batsman and the backbone of the team throughout his career. In his career he holds many world records including most consecutive successful run-chases in ODIs and the record of not being dismissed for duck for 120 consecutive ODI matches.

In his 15-year-long journey in the ODIs, Rahul Dravid has batted in 314 innings in 340 matches and scored 10767 runs at an average of 39.29 and strike rate of 71.16. During his long journey in the sport of cricket, he scored 12 hundreds and 82 half centuries, that is the second highest after Sachin Tendulkar's 95 half centuries. In the ODIs, that India has won, Rahul Dravid's average was 50.69.

In his first World Cup stint in 1999 in England, Rahul Dravid finished as the leading run-scorer, with 461 runs with an average of around 66 in eight matches. In the 1999 World Cup he became only Indian to score two back to back centuries at the World Cup including 110 against Kenya and followed a knock of 145 against Sri Lanka at Taunton.  In the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South African continent, Dravid served in the dual capacity. As a batsman he scored 318 runs in 11 matches and from behind the stumps, helped the bowlers to return back many batsmen.

Rahul Dravid was involved in 55 century stands and 123 fifty plus stands in his entire career. Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar was his most favorable partner in his career. With Ganguly in 88 ODIs inning, scored 4363 runs combined with an average of more than 50. Both the players have scored 50+ in 29 innings including 11 times 100+, whereas with Sachin Tendulkar both the players have scored 4117 runs in 98 innings with an average of 44.26 including a world record partnership of 331 runs in Hyderabad in 1999 against New Zealand.

Rahul Dravid has won 14 Man of the Matches in his ODI career and in 2005, he was the only Indian to be named to the World one-day XI. However, he also faced some low moments in his career. After the debacle in 2007 Cricket World Cup, and his few failures in the Australian series in 2007, he was axed from the national side. However, Rahul backed in August 2009, but his instinct with the team was for the two month. After the retirement of Rahul Dravid from the ODIs, India will definitely miss his services, contributions and his perfection in the game of "Gentle Men."