8 Decisions by Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni that changed Indian cricket

3. Ganguly- Backing Yuvraj Singh despite inconsistent results initially

One of the biggest qualities of a leader is that when he picks a talent, he backs it to the hilt rather than disposing it off after a few lacklustre performances. Yuvraj Singh remains a prime example of it. The left-handed swashbuckler had a whirlwind start to his white-ball career against Australia in the 2000 ICC Knockout when he shellacked the world champions to the tune of a match-winning 84. 

But post that knock, Yuvi endured a rather inconsistent run where he would blow hot and cold on a consistent basis. But Ganguly, knowing pretty well that Yuvraj was a match-winner, backed the southpaw to the hilt. Yuvraj averaged in the late 20s in his first 60-odd ODIs and had endured a pretty average series in New Zealand ahead of the 2003 World Cup.

But despite that, Yuvraj was slotted in the World Cup squad, where he played many crucial knocks, not better than the unbeaten half-century against Pakistan in that famous Centurion game.

Yuvraj Singh spearheaded India’s triumphant 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup campaign and I can’t help but think what would have happened if Ganguly hadn’t backed the precocious talent during the initial part of his career.