Sourav Ganguly reveals the shock of his life when appointed skipper of Pune Warriors

Sourav Ganguly, more than his cricketing know-hows, would be remembered for the determination and grit he displayed throughout his career. Apart from leading India, the former Indian has also plied his trade as a skipper in the Indian Premier League. He made his debut for the Kolkata Knight Riders for the opening three seasons.

However, he was later crowned as the skipper of the Pune Warriors India team in 2012 after playing a season for the franchise as a vice-captain. The former Indian cricketer recently released his autobiography ‘A Century Is Not Enough’ where he wrote about his bewilderment when he was appointed as the leader by Subrata Roy, the owner of the franchise.

The shocker for Ganguly

“I got the shock of my life! What was he saying? I desperately tried to make him understand the impact of such a decision. How irreparable the damage would be. The Boss’ anger with the board may subside afterward. He said his decision was final and that we needed to get out of Bengaluru as soon as possible. I would be the leader of a group which I had neither selected nor would be able to strengthen,” Ganguly revealed.

Yuvraj Singh was the skipper of the Pune franchise in the debut season. However, they ended the season as the ninth-ranked team. Nevertheless, Ganguly sounded apprehensive regarding Subrata Roy’s decision to pass the baton. The 2012 season eventually turned out to be Dada’s last hurray in the league and Angelo Matthews was handed over the captaincy in the next season.

“I was in a bind. A thought crossed my mind that I was replacing Yuvraj, someone who had provided shelter to me just a few months ago. I didn’t know how to respond. I decided to concentrate on the areas which I could somewhat control. The priority had to be the auction. I told myself that I would not play IPL anymore. I spent nearly a month thinking about it but the voice within told me that my time was up. I had felt the same when I decided to retire from Test cricket.” he added.