NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has lifted the lid on the internal pressure he faced from selectors during his captaincy spell, describing how he fought to keep Rahul Dravid firmly in India\u2019s ODI plans despite doubts about the batter\u2019s strike rate. Ganguly said the conversations around Dravid\u2019s role were frequent and often uncomfortable, with some decision-makers arguing the team needed a more forceful batting option for the limited-overs format.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Raj Shamani\u2019s podcast, Ganguly recalled that Dravid\u2019s place in the side was repeatedly challenged on the grounds of pace and scoring tempo. In Ganguly\u2019s telling, selectors would come to him and stress that Dravid\u2019s strike rate \u201cisn\u2019t good,\u201d and that India should look for someone who could hit more aggressively in ODIs\u2014capturing the sentiment with the phrase \u201cmarna padta hai,\u201d meaning you have to be able to attack.<\/p>\n
Ganguly, however, said he refused to be swayed. He insisted that letting Dravid go would have been a mistake that could have ended the batter\u2019s white-ball career for good. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t drop him. Because \u2018chhod diya toh khatam ho jayega\u2019,\u201d Ganguly added, explaining that Dravid still had too much value to be discarded simply due to strike rate debates.<\/p>\n
Instead of sidelining Dravid, Ganguly described a more hands-on approach\u2014working with him directly to fine-tune his ODI game to match the format\u2019s demands. \u201cSo I used to go to him separately and tell him, \u2018Jam, thoda khelna hai\u2019 (you have to play a bit),\u201d he said. Ganguly suggested that Dravid\u2019s intelligence and adaptability allowed him to adjust smoothly, continuing to contribute at the number 5 spot for India while also keeping wickets.<\/p>\n
According to Ganguly, Dravid\u2019s transformation into a wicketkeeper-batter was not just a personal evolution, but part of a wider attempt to restore balance to the ODI team\u2014particularly during periods when India lacked a true all-rounder. \u201cWe needed a wicketkeeper who could bat, and that allowed us to play Mohammad Kaif as an extra batter,\u201d Ganguly said, linking the tactical shift to the team\u2019s selection logic.<\/p>\n
He also pointed to how India compensated for the absence of a regular all-round option by distributing bowling responsibilities across the batting group. \u201cWe didn\u2019t really have a proper all-rounder either. So Sehwag bowled, Sachin bowled, I bowled, and Yuvi bowled,\u201d Ganguly revealed, describing a system where multiple players contributed with the ball rather than relying on a single specialist.<\/p>\n
For Ganguly, the key was flexibility. He argued that successful teams are not built on rigid roles, but on creating workable solutions to match the conditions and the demands of the format. \u201cToh team ko banana tha na (we had to build a team),\u201d he said, underlining that the captaincy challenge was about engineering a functional unit rather than sticking to one-size-fits-all templates.<\/p>\n
Looking back on that period, Ganguly said the strategy was shaped by necessity as much as planning. \u201cGood teams had all-rounders and keeper-batters, which we didn\u2019t have at that time. Toh woh zaroori tha team banane ke liye (that was necessary to build the team),\u201d he explained. In his view, the approach not only extended Dravid\u2019s ODI career, but also made India more adaptable in white-ball cricket\u2014an evolution that helped set the stage for a more dynamic side in the years that followed.<\/p>\n
Ganguly\u2019s account highlights how much internal debate and tactical decision-making behind the scenes can influence careers and team identity. More than just a selection story, it\u2019s a reminder that backing players like Dravid\u2014while reshaping how they fit into roles\u2014can redefine a team\u2019s structure long before modern cricket makes such flexibility a requirement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has lifted the lid on the internal pressure he faced from selectors during his captaincy spell, describing how…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ganguly on Dravid Backing Amid ODI Selector Pressure","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Sourav Ganguly opens up on the selector pressure he faced, revealing how he backed Rahul Dravid\u2019s ODI spot despite doubts over his strike rate.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n