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‘He’s a born leader’: Kris Srikkanth lauds former India captain
Srikkanth credited Ganguly for turning the landscape of Indian cricket around as under him, India started doing the one thing they hardly managed to before his term – win matches abroad.
Former India batsman Kris Srikkanth lauded Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy, calling the former India skipper a born leader. Ganguly, who was appointed captain of the Indian cricket in the year 2000, led India in 49 Tests winning in 21, making him the then-most successful captain of India. Under him, the Indian cricket team won a Test match in Australia in 22 years and registered its maiden Test series win in Pakistan.
Ganguly led India in 146 ODIs, winning 76 of them, with a win percentage of 54. Under him, India reached the final of the 2003 World Cup and won the ICC Champions Trophy and the Natwest Tri-Series in England in 2002.
Srikkanth, who himself has captained India in four Tests and 13 ODIs, credited Ganguly for turning the landscape of Indian cricket around as under him, India started doing the one thing they hardly managed to before his term – win matches abroad.
“Ganguly was proactive,” Srikkanth said on the Cricket Connected Show on Star Sports Tamil. “He was the guy who was able to form the team combination. Like how in 1976 Clive Lloyd formed the winning combination (for the West Indies team), Sourav put the correct team together and then inspiring them. That’s why Ganguly was a successful captain, even in abroad conditions. They started winning abroad. Ganguly is a born leader.”
Srikkanth weighed in on his former India teammate Kapil Dev’s magical knock of 175 not out against Zimbabwe during the 1983 World Cup. On June 18, in the 20th match of the Prudential World Cup, Kapil helped save India’s campaign with a blistering innings. The India skipper came out to bat and ran through the Zimbabwe bowling line-up.
The all-rounder played a smart, yet brisk innings as he smashed 16 fours and six sixes to become the first Indian to score an ODI century. He took India’s total to 266/8 in 60 overs after which Madan Lal and Roger Binny shined with the ball, combining to claim five wickets as Zimbabwe were bundled out for 235 in reply. India won the match, and advanced to the semifinal against England.
“At that time, they were saying our odds of winning was 1 in 1000. But Kapil Dev was the main man behind that win. The guy has got tremendous amount of confidence, self-belief and positive approach,” Srikkanth said.
