Sourav Ganguly's much awaited IPL-IV debut got delayed as in a surprising move, Pune Warriors did not include the former India skipper in the playing XI against Kings XI Punjab, in Mohali on Sunday.
Ganguly, who went unsold in the auction but recently bought by Pune, was expected to play
Sunday's match as the new entrants' campaign is in tatters, having lost seven games on the trot.
Just ahead of the match, Ganguly had a long conversation with Pune's team director Abhijit Sarkar. The conversation between the two continued for quite a while as the two were standing close to the boundary rope.
Ganguly, 38, was given a cold shoulder by Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Kolkata Knight Riders, whom he led in the previous editions, and the nine franchisees also ignored him during the auction.
On Thursday, he had a practice session in Mohali while on Saturday he had an extended batting session at the Sector 16 cricket stadium at Chandigarh.
The veteran has 16 Test hundreds from 113 Tests and has featured in 311 ODIs, with over 11,000 runs and 22 centuries.
The fans are disappointed at not being able to watch Ganguly play.
"I had purchased the ticket only to watch Ganguly in action, but it is a big disappointment that he is still not playing," Gaurav Thapar, a dentist, who had come to watch the match, said.