Mumbai: All the credit in transforming Rohit Sharma into a stupendous batsman goes to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, former skipper Sourav Ganguly said today.
Sharma, about whom it was said that he has not realised his true potential, has now cemented his place in the Indian team with a consistent stellar show as an opener in ODIs.
Sharma's career got a new lease of life after skipper Dhoni experimented and made him an opener.
"He's made Rohit Sharma into a player. No Indian player would have played 100 ODI games without playing a Test. He would not have got an opportunity. Now we sit back and say, how good a player Sharma is. He's got time and ability. You got to give credit to Dhoni. In the past, players have come and gone away because of lack of opportunity and belief."
Talking about his own captaincy days, Ganguly said he was very satisfied with what he did.
"As captain, you take decision and you have to face the consequences. When I sit back and see my days as captain and when I see where the Indian cricket has gone, I don't worry about it. I'm happy that the Indian cricket has gone forward. That's what matters. I was not there to make anyone happy or sad. I was there to do a job and make sure the Indian cricket gets forward," he asserted.
West Indies great Brian Lara too praised Ganguly for his immense contribution in taking Indian cricket forward.
"The Indian team that you see now the discipline and the commitment, the self confidence I think all that has come from the time when Sourav Ganguly led the team. The fascinating series for me was when they walked with a draw in Australia."
There was some discussion about the T20 cricket and both the former captains agreed that the format was here to stay.
