This blog was coming from a long time but I was afraid that it will dampen the reputation I have gathered as a fanatic and hence the delay. However, better late than never!!! Before I delve farther into the topic let me just clarify one thing – I have immense respect for both Dhoni and Dada. Having said that no individual is greater than the game except Sachin Tendulkar and that is where my problem with Dada supporters originates from.
Undoubtedly, Saurav is one of the greatest performers to have braced the cricket field. His greatness can be best documented by the fact that his name is pronounced in the same bracket as Dravid and Laxman. Coming to the point what I will like to ask is, given Saurav’s greatness does he deserve to be remembered as a player who stretched it one IPL too many.
If you really credit Saurav for winning matches with his captaincy then discredit him for the matches lost. Any which way even though I accept the importance of captaincy in the modern game is not a captain as good as his team. If it was Dada’s decisions that kept Mumbai from chasing a lowly 130 odd it was his decision to bowl Nehra in the last over. If there is so much hullaboolah about the former why is everyone keeping silent about the latter? And I will request someone to kindly clarify to me why are Samuels and Smith batting lower down the order as compared to Ganguly?
On the other hand let’s take a look at Dhoni!! If it was not for his late blast Chennai would have probably never posted the winning score against Pune. Yes, I am unjustified in just citing one example but can anyone deny Dhoni has performed time and again when the chips are down for our country and his IPL team.
What actually forced me to write this post were some people who are calling it Ganguly’s comeback and citing examples from this IPL to demonstrate his fighting spirit. Seriously people? For the records till now he has scored 85 of 6 matches with a strike rate of 102 and let me remind you that you are talking about Saurav Ganguly. A batsman who ruled the world with his bat and such was his stamp of authority that he was feared and revered all around the world. You are talking about a man who was instrumental in building Team India. Do not forget that he came back and silenced even his biggest critics after being unjustly dropped from the team by Greig Chappel. In your bid to respect him you are disrespecting him. Let’s just accept that he stuck on the scene for one tournament too many and forget it.
Anyway I have bored many of you with my extra long and boring post and will end here. One final message – Dada and Dhoni are from different generations, have completely different styles of captaincy and are too great in their own respect to be compared. Let it be!!!
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