Sourav Ganguly took over as the President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday. He addressed the media in his first press conference since taking over the charge of the position, in which he talked about various aspects related to Indian cricket.
Talking to the media, Ganguly also talked about former Indian captain MS Dhoni, who is currently on a sabbatical from cricket. Dhoni last played for India in the 2019 World Cup, and the speculations over his future have increased over time.
While Ganguly didn't make a straightforward comment on his international future, he insisted that the decision to continue (or not continue) depends entirely on him.
"It depends on him. Even when I was left out, the entire world said that he will never make it. I believed in myself and played for four years. Champions don't finish very quickly," the BCCI President said.
He further said that every person in Indian cricket will be respected under his charge, and that situation with MS Dhoni will be dealt with in the same way.
"I don't know what is in his mind, what he thinks about his career. So, we will deal with that. He is one of the greats of the game and India is very proud to have MS Dhoni.
"Over the period of time, when you sit down and take note of his achievements, you just say, 'Wow!'. So, till I'm around, everybody will be respected. That doesn't change," said Ganguly.
MS Dhoni made himself unavailable for selection for the West Indies tour after the World Cup, and served the Territorial Army in Jammu & Kashmir for a 15-day stint. He extended his sabbatical and didn't play in the T20I series against South Africa, and early reports have suggested that he is expected to remain unavailable for the upcoming limited-overs series against Bangladesh.
