Sourav Ganguly Ends Debate On ‘India’s Greatest Ever Captain’, Chooses Between Himself And MS Dhoni

Who is India’s greatest-ever cricket captain? It is a debate that has raged on for years, across generations, and will undoubtedly continue to. From Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in the 1960s to Rohit Sharma in the 2020s, there are several candidates. Now, Sourav Ganguly has had his say on the matter. Ganguly is himself regarded as one of India’s greatest-ever captains, having led the team during the early 2000s and paved the way for future success. But he had a simple answer to the question.

When asked to choose India’s greatest-ever captain between himself and MS DhoniGanguly leaned towards the latter.

“Mahendra Singh Dhoni. MS Dhoni has won a World Cup, while I have been a runner-up,” Ganguly said at a TV9 summit.

“Dhoni has won the World Cup, and I would say he was an outstanding white-ball captain,” Ganguly added.

Ganguly further praised Dhoni for rising out of Jharkhand, which is a state that had not seen many cricketers play for India before him.

“I feel proud that he came from a small place like Jharkhand. Before him, not many players from there represented the country. To come from there and become such a legend is something to be proud of,” Ganguly said.

Ganguly added that Dhoni’s rise would’ve given confidence and belief to the youth of the area, and took the example of 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshiwho hails from Jharkhand’s neighbouring state of Bihar.

“When someone from a state makes it big at the highest level, it creates an impact, it builds confidence – ‘If Mahi can do it, I can do it.’ Take Vaibhav Suryavanshifor example. Yes, he is from Bihar, but he must have grown up watching Dhoni,” Ganguly said.

“I feel proud because I am from Bengal and he is from Jharkhand. These regions haven’t produced as many cricketers as places like Mumbai, Delhi or Bengaluru. That is why I take great pride in MS Dhoni,” he added.

Dhoni made his India debut under Ganguly’s captaincy in 2004. He went on to lead India to Cricket World Cup glory in 2011, to the T20 World Cup title in 2007 and the Champions Trophy in 2015.