Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly recalled an incident from his captaincy days, when he fought against the BCCI board members in order to seal a spot for the premier spinner Anil Kumble during a tour to Australia.
Sourav Ganguly is often referred to as one of the strongest characters in the history of Indian Men’s cricket. He was known for his strong resolve, his determination, and his sharp captaincy skills. Ganguly excelled in every field that he took in association with cricket, be it captaincy for India or the presidency of the BCCI.
If MS Dhoni was known as the most successful Indian skipper based on the number of ICC trophies he brought home for India, Sourav Ganguly was the silent architect for having built the perfect Indian squad. The ‘Dada’ of Indian cricket once handpicked almost every legend of the game for India and paved the way for pathbreaking success during his captaincy stint in the early 2000s.
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Sourav Ganguly recalls a fight with the BCCI selectors during his captaincy days
Sourav Ganguly made a recent appearance in Harsha Bhogle’s hosted show ‘The Captain’s Calm’ and made a massive revelation on a conditional fight with the BCCI selectors. He mentions that the fight was over the selection of seasoned Indian spinner Anil Kumble for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia back in 2003.
Ganguly fought in favour of the expert spinner, while the Indian selectors looked forward to a phase of transition where they envisioned a team without Kumble, especially with Harbhajan Singh slowly gaining prominence with the ball.
“In the 2003 tour of Australia, Anil Kumble stood up, and he finished the year with the highest number of wickets. I couldn’t dream of it (not having Anil Kumble in the team), especially on the tour of Australia,” recalled Ganguly.
Sourav also recalled that he was asked to prefer a left-arm spinner, spotting the success of Daniel Vettori in Australia; however, he remained adamant despite his captaincy being put under major threat. His efforts paid off as Kumble finished with 24 wickets in three games.
“And I remember the selectors telling me I needed a left-arm spinner because of how well Daniel Vettori had bowled when New Zealand toured before us. He did exceptionally well. But I said, ‘No, I am not going to leave without him.’
“I still remember that night in Hyderabad, after the semi-final. I was told that if the team doesn’t do well, I may not be the captain again. I said, ‘we’ll see once the series finishes’,” Ganguly told Harsha Bhogle on ‘The Captain’s Calm’ powered by Bandhan Bank.
What does it take to be a Captain? – Sourav Ganguly inspires
In this interview, Ganguly revealed what it takes in real-time to be the captain of the team and how many questions often need to be answered. Sourav Ganguly’s saga as the captain of India began with the successful tour to Australia and then continued with a victorious run in the Pakistan Test and ODI tour, after an exile of 15 years.
“I have been asked that question many times. I remember a journalist asking me, ‘Not many people have come back from Pakistan as a captain’. So, these are challenges. If you want to be the captain of India, you will be asked this question. So, stand up, be strong and be ready to accept it. Work those hard miles, those extra miles to back what you say. That’s what’s important,” added Ganguly.
Sourav Ganguly—The maestro behind India’s glory
Taking Captaincy over from the hands of Sachin Tendulkar back in the early 2000s, Sourav Ganguly turned from the Prince of Bengal to the “Dada” of Indian cricket. He not only led the Indian team by example, winning the series against Australia and Pakistan or defeating England in England, but also formed a solid squad by handpicking players from all over India.
It was during his reign that India got players like VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, MS Dhoni, and the current Chief Selector of India, Ajit Agarkar. They all went on to be the brightest stars of Indian cricket in the later years.
Alongside that, Ganguly was the second-highest Indian run-scorer in ODIs, before Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma surpassed him and was known as a monumental contributor for India in partnerships alongside the great Sachin Tendulkar. Aggression, Determination and Dreams were what crafted Ganguly into one of the most miraculous captains in the history of cricket.
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