Winning ICC World Twenty20 2007 will remain one of the biggest milestones in the history of Indian cricket. Ahead of the World Cup, some of the biggest names of Indian cricket had decided to not take part in the tournament. In what was legendary captain MS Dhoni’s first assignment as an Indian captain, he had truly justified his selection.
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The high-profile Indian trio of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly had missed the tournament. It can be said that it was the end of their T20I career as well. Ganguly could not even make his T20I debut, whereas Tendulkar’s T20I debut in 2006 remained his only appearance in the format. Dravid, however, surprisingly played his only T20I against England in 2011.
After winning the T20 World Cup, Dhoni was made the permanent captain of the Indian team in both the white-ball formats. Dhoni then went on to become one of the most successful captains in cricket. He also won the Khel Ratna Award in 2008.
Rahul Dravid Persuaded Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to Not Play ICC World Twenty20 2007
Former BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) president Sharad Pawar once revealed that it was Dravid who no longer wanted to lead the national team after a debacle in the ODI World Cup the same year. Dravid wanted youngsters to take charge. After Dravid’s refusal, Pawar had asked Tendulkar to lead the side, but he had also denied it.
Pawar had insisted that he was concerned about the captaincy. Tendulkar then suggested Dhoni’s name to the board and rest is history. The ‘Master Blaster’ also chose Dhoni as the best captain he played under a few years later.
“I remember India had gone to England in 2007,” Pawar was quoted as saying by ANI once.
“At that time, Rahul Dravid was the captain. I was there in England then and Dravid came to meet me. He told me how he no longer wanted to lead India. I then asked Sachin Tendulkar to lead the side, but he refused the role.”
Lalchand Rajput, who was Team India’s manager in the world event in South Africa, also confirmed that it was Dravid who convinced Tendulkar and Ganguly to miss the tournament.
“Yes, it is true [Dravid persuading Tendulkar and Ganguly to miss the World Cup]. Rahul Dravid was the captain in England and some players came directly from England to Johannesburg. They said let’s give an opportunity to the youngsters,” Rajput had told Sportskeeda.
Lalchand Rajput credited MS Dhoni’s captaincy for T20 World Cup glory
Rajput also highlighted how Dhoni’s leadership played an influential role in India’s victory in the tournament. He revealed that Dhoni had a clear theme for the World Cup, i.e. “Tension lene ka nahi, dene ka [Don’t take tension, give tension]”.
Rajput also compared how Dhoni’s style was completely different from Ganguly’s. Ganguly was an aggressive captain, whereas Dhoni was someone who used to be very calm. The team thrived under Dhoni because of how he used to keep the atmosphere comfortable for all, as per Rajput.
