Deep Dasgupta said Sourav Ganguly’s “I am the king” mindset transformed India’s response to sledging, encouraging teammates to openly give back instead of silently channelling their anger.
IMAGE: Sourav Ganguly captained Team India to several landmark results, including the 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph, the 2002 NatWest Trophy and Test wins at Leeds in 2002 and Adelaide in 2003. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- Deep Dasgupta credited Sourav Ganguly with changing India’s attitude towards sledging and encouraging players to respond aggressively.
- Ganguly’s “I am the king” mindset, according to Dasgupta, gradually rubbed off on the entire Indian team.
- India shifted from silently channelling anger into performances to openly giving opponents a response on the field.
- Dasgupta said the combative culture of today’s Indian team can be traced to the foundation laid during Ganguly’s captaincy.
Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta said Sourav Ganguly transformed the team’s attitude towards sledging, encouraging players to give it back to opponents instead of simply absorbing it.
Speaking on Doordarshan’s ‘The Great Indian Cricket Show’, Dasgupta said Ganguly’s “I am the king” mindset began to influence the entire team.
From Restraint to Retaliation
Dasgupta said India had earlier responded to provocation by internalising their anger and channelling it into their performances.
Under Ganguly, however, the team began expressing that aggression on the field as well.
“if someone sledged, we started to give it back. Rather than saying, ‘I will channel it’, while we used to channel it, we would give it back as well. His nickname is Maharaj. So, he’s always had that idea that ‘I am the king.’ And it started reflecting on the team as well,” Dasgupta said.
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Australia Showed the Shift
Dasgupta pointed to India’s tours of Australia as evidence of the change. Between his first tour and the 2003 tour, he said, the team moved from a controlled, inward response to openly confronting opponents.
He believes the combative approach seen in India’s current team can be traced back to the culture established during Ganguly’s captaincy.
“I think between my first tour and my last tour in Australia in 2003, you could see that change. Earlier, it was controlled and internal. But by the time we came to 2003, if someone said something, we would give it back,” the former wicketkeeper-batter added.
Ganguly Laid the Foundation
Ganguly led India in 49 Tests, winning 21, and captained the team to several landmark results.
Dasgupta said Ganguly’s leadership helped lay the foundation for the success that followed under MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
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