'I didn't compete with Sachin, Dravid': Sourav Ganguly on difference between being a captain and a leader

Former Indian cricket team skipper Sourav Ganguly is regarded as one of the most successful captains to have led the national team. Ganguly took over the reins of Team India in the aftermath of the match-fixing controversy which had led to the ouster of former captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Ganguly went on to make India a force to reckon with under his leadership and gave the country a number of match-winners in the form of the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag among others.

Ganguly managed to instil fighting spirit in the Indian team after taking over as captain and helped the team win some memorable matches both at home and overseas. India also became a great touring side under his leadership and went on to prove its mettle across different conditions.

While Ganguly had become one of the key members of the Indian team across formats himself when he took over as captain, he had a number of senior players to work with inhis side during his stint as captain. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Azharuddin and Rahul Dravid were some of the big names in the Indian squad back then.

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Recalling his days as captain of the Indian side, Ganguly explained the difference between being a captain and being a leader. Speaking at the Economic Times India Leadership Council, the current Board of for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief said captaincy to him was leading a team on the pitch while leadership was building a team both on and off the ground.

“There is a difference between being a captain and a leader, in a titular position as a captain, how did you make the seniors, and the youngsters believe in your leadership. Captaincy, to me, is leading a team on the ground, and leadership, to me, is building a team. So, whether I worked with Sachin, Azhar, or Dravid, I didn't compete with them; instead, I collaborated with them as leaders and shared responsibility," said Ganguly.

India achieved numerous feats under Ganguly's captaincy, including the famous Natwest Triumph in 2022 and reaching the final of the ICC ODI World Cup in 2003. India also won the Champions Trophy under Ganguly in 2002.

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Ganguly said there was no dearth of talent in the side when he was the captain but it was important to give the players a fair amount of exposure to showcase their skills. He further stated that for him the career of his teammates were equally valuable as his own as he knew what it took to play for the country.

"But talent without exposure is nothing. I had some great players under me who could have gone on to become captain at any time, and I was fortunate enough to meet those great players, so I saw it not only as an honour but also as an opportunity to change things, to make it an even platform for everyone to express themselves," said the current BCCI chief.

"When you select an individual, you firstly selected them based on their abilities, and second, you selected them to succeed. And for me, their career was as important as mine because I know what it took to get here, to represent India,” he added.