Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid has said that cricket's influence in his life was such that the game made him a better person.

"One and half years after my retirement I have realised that cricket has made me a better human. I learnt from successes and failures," Dravid said, speaking at convocation ceremony of BITS-Pilani Goa campus on Sunday, in the presence of Dr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chancellor of the institute.

Dravid narrated several anecdotes from his career, starting from his school days, making a special mention of school principal, Father Coelho.

He also said that his father was an ardent fan of the game.

"After the Australia tour I felt it is time to make way for the next generation. Now I am back to the little boy listening to cricket commentary in my father's studio," said Dravid, who dubbed himself as a boy from a middle-class family.

There were millions of ways to be successful, he said.

"You don't have to be number one in the world, you have to be number one to yourself by achieving all the height which you always aimed," Dravid said, receiving a huge applause from the students.