Sourav Ganguly regrets not having MS Dhoni during 2003 World Cup

Ganguly fans never leave any stones unturned to make the debate that Dhoni’s success in the 2011 World Cup had a significant role played by players identified by Ganguly during his time as the captain of the side. There is also a common belief among them that Dhoni was the prime reason why Ganguly had to prematurely retire from international cricket.

However, the 45-year-old has revealed 10 years after his retirement through his book that he was always impressed by Dhoni and knew that the player had the ability to keep calm under extreme pressure situations.

“I had over the years constantly looked out for players who remain steady under pressure and possess the capability to change the course of the match. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who came to my notice in 2004, was a natural progression of this thought. I was impressed with MS Dhoni from day one," Ganguly wrote in his autobiography.

Ganguly also regretted not having MS Dhoni behind the stumps during the 2003 World Cup. India had just sacked long-term wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia from the role to hand over the job to part-timer Rahul Dravid. Though Dravid eventually cemented his place with a decent display in South Africa, Ganguly lamented not having Dhoni’s brains behind the stumps on the big platform.    

"I wish I'd Dhoni in my 2003 World Cup team. I was told that when we were playing the 2003 World Cup final he was still a ticket collector with Indian Railways. Unbelievable! Today I am happy that my assessment was proven right. It is amazing how he broke through the ranks to become what he is today," added Ganguly.

Ganguly also followed it with a reference to his famous farewell Nagpur Test match incident five years later in 2008, when Dhoni had asked him to captain the side on the last day. He revealed that he had turned down the offer at first, but couldn’t stop himself when Dhoni insisted the second time.