Published 16:14 IST, August 21st 2020
When MS Dhoni called Sourav Ganguly 'Dadi' after special 2012 interview with him: Watch
MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly are arguably two of India's most accomplished Indian captains who helped the Indian team scale new heights.
Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni are arguably two of India's most accomplished Indian captains. The BCCI President brought about a revolution in the Indian team and changed the way the game was played with his aggressive captaincy. Sourav Ganguly also captained India and reorganised the team after the match-fixing scandal in the 2000s and built a fearless brand of Indian cricket which transformed Indian cricket.
Throwback to when MS Dhoni sheepishly called Sourav Ganguly 'Dadi' in a post-match interview
On the other hand, MS Dhoni is known for his astute understanding of the game. The CSK captain took Indian cricket to new levels and made the Indian team a force to be reckoned with in world cricket. The man from Ranchi led India to wins in all three ICC events. Ganguly and Dhoni share an affable relationship and have always spoken highly of each other. In fact, during Sourav Ganguly's last Test in Nagpur in 2008, MS Dhoni, the newly-appointed skipper of the Indian cricket team in Tests offered Sourav Ganguly to lead the side for the final few overs of the game as India moved closer to a series-clinching victory over the Aussies.
However, Dhoni, who made his international debut under Ganguly's captaincy in December 2004, was interviewed by the current BCCI chief during India's tour of Australia in 2011-12. Indian had lost the second Test in Sydney by an innings and 68 runs post which MS Dhoni was being interviewed by Sourav Ganguly, who was working with the official Indian broadcaster of the series as a cricket pundit at the time. The duo spoke about India's loss in the Test and the probable changes they could make in the upcoming Test.
During the end of the interview, Sourav Ganguly asked MS Dhoni if he would make any changes in the team for the third Test in Perth or he would go back his boys as he always does. However, Dhoni refrained from revealing his playing XI by saying that they would think over it and play the best XI in Perth and added that it was important for the Indian team to take a few days off. Sourav Ganguly motivated the Indian team by asking them to come back fresh and reckoned that they have still got a lot of faith in the team. Dhoni concluded saying 'Thanks Dadi' with a sheepish grin on his face.
ALSO READ | MS Dhoni retirement: Virat Kohli lauds MS Dhoni's 'selflessness' in emotional tribute video: Watch
Meanwhile, the MS Dhoni retirement news was announced by the CSK captain himself on Saturday, August 15, thereby calling it a day after a glorious career which spanned nearly 16 years. The veteran stumper, who called it quits from the longest format of the game in 2014, decided to hang his boots from the limited-overs formats as well for India. However, Dhoni is expected to continue playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
There was a lot of speculation regarding Dhoni's retirement. The 39-year-old had been on a sabbatical since India's heartbreaking exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Since then, the dynamic keeper had not featured in any competitive game, which further fueled rumours about his retirement.
It was said that MS Dhoni was keen to know the fate of the T20 World Cup 2020, which was supposed to take place in Australia. But the marquee event was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MS Dhoni is set to leave for the UAE for IPL 2020 on Friday. The CSK captain would look to guide CSK to their fourth IPL trophy by winning the IPL 2020 title.
IMAGE COURTESY: YOUTUBE/ STAR SPORTS
Updated 16:14 IST, August 21st 2020