Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid has developed into an icon both on and off the field.
The 30-year-old's swarthy looks and polite conduct have made him a popular figure with Indian women and appealed to advertisers who regard him as hot property.
But Dravid's financial gains and superstar status have been borne out of his success on the cricket pitch.
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Dravid's career record
Test innings: 118
Aggregate: 5614
Average: 53.14
Highest score: 217
50s: 28
100s: 14
One-day innings: 188
Aggregate: 6451
Average: 39.10
Highest score: 153
50s: 44
100s: 8
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Born in the Western India city of Indore, Dravid went to study at St Joseph's in Bangalore where he developed his skills as a batsman.
It was in a match against rivals St Anthony where he is said to have made his first century.
Fast forward to 1990 where he made his debut for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy.
Good performances in that competition elevated him into the Test squad where he made a stunning 95 against England at Lord's, coming in at number seven.
In the following match at Trent Bridge he made 84, and from then on the young right-hander became a permanent fixture of the India Test squad.
His reputation for being stubborn opponent at the crease earned him the nickname of "The Wall".
And like his even more illustrious team-mate Sachin Tendulkar, once he has settled at the crease, his patient play has often led to big innings.
Against New Zealand in 1999, Dravid fell 10 short of making a double century, but a year his wish came true when he scored an unbeaten 200 against Zimbabwe.
Arguably his best Test innings came as recently as 2002 when he hit 217 against England in the fourth Test at The Oval.
It was an innings that lasted more than 10 hours and marked the start of a historical period for the batsman.
The double-century was his third in successive matches, one more would see him become the first Indian to do so - and he achieved that record with a 100 against the West Indies.
Dravid accepted the request to become keeper
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Because his efforts were usually built around patience rather than exciting strokeplay, many regarded him as a Test rather than one-day player.
But Dravid proved his doubters wrong at the 1999 World Cup when he smashed home two centuries on the way to becoming the highest run scorer at the tournament.
Those efforts and in Test matches earned him the Wisden Cricketer of the Year award.
Although Dravid had been getting India out of scrapes for a number of years, there was still one more favour the national side had to make.
India had been trying different keepers for a number of years leading up to the 2003 World Cup, and eventually decided to ask Dravid if he wanted to wear the gloves.
The 30-year-old took up the responsibility, and although many criticised India's decision to pick a non-specialist for the role, Dravid seems to have proved his doubters wrong with a number of competent displays.
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