NEW DELHI: Understand your own self and unlock the maximum potential you have as a cricketer, is former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid's mantra for all those aspiring to take up the sport professionally. Dravid, who is working with Rajasthan Royals in IPL during the ongoing season after guiding India to T20 World Cup triumph, spoke to 'JioHotstar' during an episode of 'Halla Bol'.

"Just being good at cricket and just practising cricket will off course get you certain distance but the really good players, great players that I have had the privilege of working with or sharing dressing room with, one of the common things I see in all of them is that they truly know who they are as people," Dravid, India's second highest scorer in Test cricket said.

"I think if you know who are as a person and grow as a person, you give yourself the best chance to maximise your potential," he added.

The gift of sporting talent can only take a person that far, feels Dravid.

"...you have been given a talent to become the best cricketer you can be, you also need to grow as a person and you need to understand yourself as a person both on and off the field to maximise your potential," Dravid said in the video.

He made it clear that he doesn't believe in comparisons.

"It's individual, you can't judge yourself with other people, compare yourself with other people. Your job is to get the best out of yourself and the gifts you have been given and that will only come with growing both as a cricketer on the field but growing as a person off it as well," said Dravid.