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One of the most successful, aggressive and outspoken captains in Indian cricket history. Sourav Ganguly Whenever his name is mentioned, a picture emerges in the mind of a leader who taught Team India to win in foreign countries by making eye contact. Sourav Ganguly, popularly known as ‘Prince of Kolkata’ and ‘Dada’, has been known for his tough attitude and outspoken style since the beginning of his career. However, his aggressive and domineering nature sometimes became a cause of controversy for him. During his long and illustrious career, Ganguly faced many controversies, including making former Australian captain Steve Waugh wait for the toss or his famous and much-discussed dispute with Indian coach Greg Chappell, which created a stir in Indian cricket. But do you know that even before entering international cricket for the Indian team, Sourav Ganguly was facing serious allegations of being ‘arrogant’ and breaking team discipline? In the initial days of his career, the news spread like wildfire that he had ‘categorically refused to carry drinks’ for the players on the field during the match. Let us know in detail what was the whole truth of this unheard and sensational story related to Dada’s career and what the then captain Mohammad Azharuddin had to say on it.
When Sourav Ganguly was accused of being arrogant and indiscipline
Sourav Ganguly made his historic test debut against then captain Mohammed Azharuddin In 1996, under the captaincy of Lord’s, he created a stir by scoring a brilliant century in his very first match. But before shining on the international stage, many negative things and rumors started floating around him during domestic cricket and some initial matches.
For a long time there was a strong discussion in the media and cricket circles that young Sourav Ganguly has excessive arrogance. This controversy started when Ganguly was shown the way out of the playing XI after scoring relatively low in the initial matches. According to reports and stories of the time, when Ganguly was dropped from the team, he was extremely upset with the decision of the selectors and the team management. After this it was claimed that when the team needed it, Ganguly had flatly refused to carry water and drinks for the players on the field. On the basis of this one incident, an attempt was made to present him as an ‘arrogant and undisciplined player’, which surprised even the cricket lovers of that era.
Did Sourav Ganguly really refuse to carry drinks? know the truth
Whenever any young player is accused of indiscipline in the corridors of cricket, the matter gains momentum. Something similar happened with Sourav Ganguly also. For years, the story was retold in sports magazines and media that Dada had refused to carry water for the team because he was hurt by being dropped from the team.
But, how much truth was there in all these rumors and media reports was revealed by the then captain himself and Sourav Ganguly. In later years, when Ganguly was directly asked about this controversy, he rejected all these claims outright. Dada clearly said that these news were completely fabricated, baseless and rumors spread only for the purpose of creating sensation. He never encouraged any indiscipline on the field and his dedication towards the team was always 100 percent.
Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin had also called these reports nonsense
The then Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who was at the center of this entire controversy, also later openly broke his silence on this matter. Azharuddin clearly rejected all the stories running in the media in which Ganguly was called arrogant or undisciplined.
Azharuddin believed that Sourav Ganguly was a very talented, combative and completely dedicated player towards the game. He clarified that Ganguly had never done anything against the team rules nor had he ever refused to carry drinks. In the initial phase, such baseless things are often spread about young players, which have nothing to do with reality. After this statement of Azharuddin, these rumors were put to an end forever and it was proved that these stories were exaggerated to tarnish Dada’s image outside the field.
‘Dada’ became the captain who showed aggression on the field and made Team India a winner.
Overcoming these initial controversies and struggles, Sourav Ganguly ushered in a new era in Indian cricket. When in the year 2000, the responsibility of bailing out the Indian cricket team from the dark shadow of match-fixing was put on the shoulders of Ganguly, he proved with his captaincy that his ‘arrogance’ or aggression was actually the will to win on the field.
By grooming young players like Sehwag, Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Zaheer Khan, he created a world-class team which taught them to compete eye to eye on foreign soil. His journey from celebrating by taking off his shirt on the balcony of Lord’s to becoming the BCCI President shows that beyond the controversies, Sourav Ganguly is a legend of the Indian sports world who will always be remembered for his conditions and his outspoken leadership. Those early allegations became mere rumors with time, and Ganguly’s bat and decisions on the field gave a befitting reply to the critics forever.