‘I am the king’: Deep Dasgupta reveals how Sourav Ganguly changed the mindset of Team India

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta recalled how Sourav Ganguly transformed the mindset of the Indian team, particularly in its response to the sledgehammer, with the former wicket-keeper batsman saying the captain’s “I am the king” attitude gradually rubbed off on the rest of the team.Dasgupta, who represented India in eight Tests and five ODIs, reflected on the cultural shift in the team during Ganguly’s captaincy. He traced the origins of the fearless and combative approach that became associated with Indian cricket in the 2000s to Ganguly’s leadership, especially when he compared his maiden tour of Australia to the historic visit in 2003-04.

“Under Ganguly, if someone was sledding, we started giving it back.

According to Dasgupta, the change was not just a response to provocation by the opposition, but the development of a different personality as a team. He said the Indian side had earlier tended to absorb the anger generated by sledging and use it as motivation, while under Ganguly the players were more willing to face the opposition.“Under Ganguly, when someone sledged, we started giving it back. Instead of saying, ‘I’m going to carry it,’ as we used to broadcast it, we’d also give it back. His nickname is Maharaj. So he always had this idea that ‘I’m the king.’ And it started to reflect on the team as well,” Dasgupta said on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan.Dasgupta explained that the change was particularly noticeable when he compared his experience in Australia. He said the team continued to use sledging and provocation as motivation, but increasingly began to express their aggression rather than keeping it entirely internal.“Now when we were still doing it, we were expressing it as well. I think between my first tour and my last tour in Australia in 2003 you could see the change. It used to be controlled and internal. But when we got to 2003, if someone said something, we’d take it back,” he added.

Ganguly’s record as Indian captain

Ganguly led India in 196 international matches, winning 97, losing 79 and drawing 15. In Tests, he captained India in 49 matches, winning 21, losing 13 and drawing 15.His tenure included some of India’s most memorable overseas and domestic victories, including the famous Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in 2001, the Leeds Test victory in 2002 and the Adelaide victory in 2003. India also reached the final of the 2003 World Cup under Ganguly, while his team with Nat202 most famously won the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka after the final was washed out.