‘Dhoni is amazing’

Sourav Ganguly heaped praise on the India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni at a promotional, here on Thursday. The former India captain felt that Dhoni’s ability to absorb pressure makes him a mentally strong captain. 

 

“He is a brilliant captain. He has a great ability to absorb pressure. Winning the World Cup and then leading the Chennai Super Kings to their second consecutive title is no mean task. The way he has sustained his hunger for success is amazing. He is now the main man in Indian cricket...” said Sourav. 

Sourav believes, although many senior players are being rested, the Indian team has the talent to win the series in West Indies. “We will win in the West Indies. The team is young, but confident and good. They will be hungry for success and would look at the tour as an opportunity to seal their berths in the Indian team,” said Sourav.

The West Indies tour will be the first assignment for India’s newly-appointed coach, Duncan Fletcher. “The Indian cricket has improved by leaps and bounds in the last 11-12 years. I think Duncan would be benefited by the talent at his disposal. He is getting in a position where the guys are confident and have some outstanding achievements in recent times,” said Sourav. 

On Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha, he said: “Manoj should do well in the series. I hope Wriddhi gets a chance and he grabs the opportunity with both hands. He will face a tough competition from Parthiv (Patel).” 

The former captain, who played “his best innings in his debut Test in England”, said that Indian team’s character will be tested in their away series against England, which starts from July 21.

“England, especially their Test team, have been performing pretty well in the last two years. The Indian team will have their task cut out.”

Sourav also said KKR still remain a big team, irrespective of his absence. The former KKR captain said he has a very cvordial relationship with Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh is a very dear person. Many players have shifted bases. So it is not a big issue at all.” 

Is the IPL taking a toll on cricketers? “Among the three formats, T20 is the least taxing,” he said.