Presenting a different perspective in the entire debate around India's supposed 'undue advantage' of playing all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, former India captain Sourav Ganguly said Indian batters were instead missing out on the flat decks of Pakistan. (Preview | Streaming | Full Coverage)
“It’s the Indian government which doesn’t permit the Indian team to travel to Pakistan. The BCCI or the Indian team have got nothing to do with this,” said Ganguly at a sports conclave organised by RevSportz in Kolkata. “I think the Virat Kohlis, Rohit Sharmas and Shubman Gills are missing out on those pitches where other teams are scoring 350 for fun. I don’t think there is any undue advantage at play here.”
Ganguly, under whom India finished runners-up in the Champions Trophy in 2000 and became joint-winners in 2002, felt India will have the edge in Sunday’s final against New Zealand. “New Zealand are probably the toughest opposition for India at the moment. Their batting and spin bowling are formidable. But I think India’s batting is stronger. We also have formidable spinners. India are the favourites. Having said that, there are no favourites in a final.”
Praising India’s performance in white-ball cricket, Ganguly said it’s phenomenal to reach the final of three ICC events — the 2023 50-over World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the ongoing Champions Trophy. “It’s an incredible achievement. How many teams do that? But I think in red-ball cricket, the team has to do better. That’s something Rohit’s team has to address.”
Talking about his own legacy, the batter known for his fluency on the off-side of the pitch said it’s about learning from failures. “That’s what reality is. I remember Rahul Dravid saying that he failed 400 times out of 600 opportunities. In life, you will see more frustrating times than the happier ones. The important part is, you have to wake up stronger the next day and look forward to life. You have to get ready for the next day and not look back being harsh on yourself.”
Asked about the expectations he had of himself when he took over as the captain of the Indian team, Ganguly said there were none. “I had no expectations. I had no philosophy. All that I had in mind was the best interest of the team. We had to change the mindset and team culture to win abroad. That was the challenge.”
