Would have changed my game to be a T20 player: Ganguly backs format

The former India captain was part of the IPL for five years and had captained Kolkata Knight Riders before switching to Pune Warriors.

July 05, 2020 04:23 pm | Updated 04:26 pm IST - Kolkata

Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday lent his support for T20 cricket, saying he would have reinvented his game to meet the demands of the shortest format if he was playing in this era.

“T20 is very important. I would have changed my game. It’s the licence to keep swinging and keep hitting...,” Ganguly said while replying to a question on BCCI Twitter handle.

The former India captain, with 113 Tests and 311 ODIs, was at the fag end of his career when the country embraced the format, but he did captain IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders before switching to Pune Warriors.

“I would have loved to play T20, although I did play for the first five years of the IPL. I think I would have enjoyed T20,” he said.

Ganguly also spoke about leading India to the 2003 World Cup final and the landmark jersey-waving incident from the Lord’s balcony after his team chased down 326 to win the NatWest Trophy Final in 2002.

“It was a great moment. We all got carried away, but that’s what sport is, when you win a game like that, you celebrate even more. That was one of the great cricket matches I have been part of,” he said.

Asked to compare the triumph with the World Cup final, he said: “Both have their own place. The World Cup final has a special place; we got smashed by Australia. They were the best team in that generation.”

“Getting to the World Cup, winning every game hands down except Australia, I thought, was a great achievement,” he said.

“The NatWest had its own charm. When you win in England, on a Saturday at the Lord’s, it’s a remarkable feeling. It’s a packed house. I am sure you will get to play Test cricket in England, when we travel to play five Tests...and it’s a remarkable experience,” he signed off.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.