Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir feels Mahendra Singh Dhoni didn’t leave quality cricketers for Virat Kohli. Gambhir won the 2011 World Cup with the former national skipper. He is of the opinion that Dhoni’s job was made easier as former captain and current BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly left plenty of quality players at his disposal, like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan.
Ganguly led India to a historic win in the 2002 NatWest Series and also to the final of 2003 World Cup.
Speaking on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, Gambhir said, “When MS Dhoni finished [his captaincy stint], he hadn’t given enough quality players to Virat Kohli, apart from Virat Kohli himself and Rohit Sharma, or Jasprit Bumrah now. There are not too many world beaters or probably people who win you tournaments.”
He added: “But look at what Sourav Ganguly gave to Indian cricket. Yuvraj Singh, Man of the Series in two World Cups [Yuvraj was only player of the series in the 2011 World Cup; Shahid Afridi won that award in the 2007 World T20], Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag – these kinds of world beaters.”
India last won an ICC title at the 2013 Champions Trophy. In the 2019 World Cup, the Men in Blue were knocked out in the semi-finals by New Zealand.
Also comparing their batting skills, Gambhir quipped, “In white-ball cricket, MS Dhoni hands down. But in Test cricket, Sourav Ganguly, because MS Dhoni, away from home or away from the subcontinent, doesn’t even have a hundred. And Sourav Ganguly has got a hundred at Lord’s, [and] in Australia.”
(With inputs from PTI)