When Rahul Dravid Passed Wrong Information to BCCI Selectors About Sourav Ganguly

Rahul Dravid-Sourav Ganuly: Ratnakar mentions that later Sourav had called up Dilip and told him that he was available for selection.

Mumbai: Without a doubt – Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly – have been two of the finest batters India has ever produced. The two of them started their international careers roughly during the same period and went on to become greats. Years after they have ended their illustrious careers, it is learned that there was a time when the two were not on the same page. Former India team manager Ratnakar Shetty has in his book ‘Board: Test.Trial.Triumph’ narrates the episode.

This happened when the squad for the inaugural T20 World Cup was being picked. Apparently, Rahul had informed then-chairman Dilip Vengsarkar that the three senior players (Sachin, Sourav and Rahul) have decided not to participate in the T20 WC as they felt it was a ‘young man’s game’.

In the following days, a 30-member squad was picked for the marquee event and the three seniors were left out.

In his book, Ratnakar mentions that later Sourav had called up Dilip and told him that he was available for selection. Sourav told Dilip that the information that was given to him was incorrect.

Here is the excerpt from the book…

A day before the selectors met, I received a call from Rahul. He told me that he had spoken to Sachin and Sourav, his predecessors, and both had concurred with his view that Twenty20 was a ‘young man’s game’. He accordingly requested me to inform the selectors that the three of them would not be available for the ICC World T20 (2007). Dilip and his colleagues proceeded to pick 30 probables, sans the trio. Later, the chairman told me that he had received a call from Sourav, who said that he was in fact available for selection and the information conveyed to him was incorrect.