Indian cricket, over the years, has been blessed with a plethora of brilliant captains. From Tiger Pataudi to Ajit Wadekar to Kapil Dev to Mohammad Azharuddin to the current era of leaders in Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble to MS Dhoni and now Virat Kohli, everyone has had their fair share of contributions in nurturing Indian cricket and taking it the highest pedestal of world cricket.

If you talk about the past 20 years, the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been the torchbearers of whirlwind change in Indian cricket. While Ganguly took India out of the mess that was the 2000 match-fixing scandal and rebuilt the team in the early years of the 21st century, MS Dhoni helped India break their final hoodoo and finally lay claim to the silverware- something that had alluded them for a long time.

But, this article isn&#8217;t about that. It is about the tactical and selectional changes that these two great leaders made, something which proved to be masterstrokes in the long run.

1. Ganguly Promoting Virender Sehwag to the opening slot in Test cricket and giving Dhoni a chance to bat higher in the order

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-83346" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shoaib-Akhtar-and-Virender-Sehwag.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag" width="600" height="422" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-83346" class="wp-caption-text">Indian batsman Virender Sehwag (L) celebrates his century as Pakistani pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar (R) walks past. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

In the early 2000s, the Indian Test team was on a lookout for an opener, who could provide them with an ideal launchpad for the shenanigans of their famed middle-order to take over. Besides that, they were also grappling with how to adjust Virender Sehwag in the line-up.

Sehwag had scored a whirlwind hundred in his debut Test in Bloemfontein but with the middle-order packed to the rafters, the &#8216;Nawab of Najafgarh&#8217; had to warm the bench in the 2002 tour of the Caribbean. But, Ganguly knew the value that Sehwag brought to the Test side, and with the England tour looming, he made up his mind to take on a punt by slotting him at the top of the order.

It is important to remember here that Sehwag was primarily a middle-order batsman and had never opened for his domestic side, and was naturally apprehensive of doing the same in Test cricket. But, Ganguly- a visionary leader that he was- assured Sehwag that even if he fails in the top-order, he wouldn’t get dropped from the side

&#8220;Viru told me he had never opened and batted only at 5 or 6 for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-amount-of-freedom-he-gives-is-mesmerising-delhi-capitals-skipper-shreyas-iyer-hails-coach-ricky-ponting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi</a>. &#8216;What if I get out?&#8217; I told him you can get out even in the middle order. And I batted down the order so that I could have him in my team. And then he opened in England and scored a century…&#8221; Ganguly revealed in Breakfast for Champions back in 2018.

Sehwag smashed a whirlwind 96-ball 84 in his very first innings as an opener at the Lord’s and backed it up with a hundred in the next Test in Nottingham, and, the rest, as they say, is history.

Four years later, Ganguly did the same with MS Dhoni when he promoted him to the No.3 spot in an ODI against Pakistan. And, you know what happened after that.

2. Dhoni- Promoting Rohit Sharma to the top of the order in white-ball cricket

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-356551" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_348483.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-356551" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)</figcaption>

11 years after Ganguly pulled off a masterstroke by slotting in Sehwag as a Test match opener, Mahendra Singh Dhoni did the same with Rohit Sharma in white-ball cricket. Just like in the early 2000s when India were struggling to find a potent Test match opener, the Men in Blue were in the same conundrum as they headed into the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.

Rohit Sharma had started out as a middle-order batsman in white-ball cricket but for the better part of first five years of his ODI career, his returns were modest, to say the least. With just 2 hundred in his 90-odd ODIs, it looked like Sharma would end up as one of the biggest underachievers despite boasting of such precocious talent.

‘Sharma had batted at the top of the order in the 2013 home series against England but with Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan already in the squad, he wasn’t supposed to open in the Champions Trophy. But, as he had so often done in his career, Dhoni pulled a rabbit out of the hat and slotted Sharma at the top of the order in the opening game against South Africa.

The rest is history. Since that opening game of the 2013 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-capable-of-hosting-t20-world-cup-or-champions-trophy-in-the-next-five-years-ehsan-mani/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Champions Trophy</a>, no ODI opener has scored more runs [7032 in 133 innings], has a better average [59.59] or have scored more hundreds- 27, the next best is Shikhar Dhawan with 17- and of-course more double-hundreds [3] than the ‘Hitman’.

3. Ganguly- Backing Yuvraj Singh despite inconsistent results initially

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-408608" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh-1.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408608" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

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 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/david-warner-reacts-to-aaron-finchs-exclusion-from-fox-crickets-australia-xi-for-2023-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australia </a>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&#8217;s triumphant 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup campaign and I can&#8217;t help but think what would have happened if Ganguly hadn&#8217;t backed the precocious talent during the initial part of his career.

4. Dhoni- Backing Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja after a series of initial failures

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-302447" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-and-Ravindra-Jadeja.jpg" alt="Ravindra Jadeja" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-302447" class="wp-caption-text">Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)</figcaption>

In the last point, we saw how Mahendra Singh Dhoni pulled off a masterstroke by slotting in Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in white-ball cricket.  But, would he have been in the team in 2013, let alone open, had MS not supported him to the hilt during the first five years of his career where his performances were mediocre at best.

Rohit averaged a measly 31.67 in his first 87 ODIs with the help of two centuries. He endured his worst year in International cricket in 2012 where he managed just 168 runs in 13 innings at an average of 12.92.

Would any other captain had dropped him after such performances? Probably yes. But, as I said before the hallmark of a truly great leader is that he invests in his players. Which is exactly what Dhoni did with Rohit, and the results are for everyone to see.

Another player that Dhoni backed to the core is <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stay-safe-at-home-runout-mat-hona-ravindra-jadeja-shares-a-hilarious-clip-amid-covid-19-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ravindra Jadeja</a>. Jadeja debuted way back in 2009 and wasn&#8217;t even half the player that he is today. He would struggle to clear the infield; get involved in comical run-outs and would frequently get carted around the park. But, once again, Dhoni invested in his all-round talent, something that Virat Kohli&#8217;s team is reaping benefit from at present.

5. Ganguly- Picking Harbhajan Singh in the 2001 series

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-410207" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Harbhajan-Singh-1.jpg" alt="Harbhajan Singh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410207" class="wp-caption-text">Harbhajan Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The 2001 Test series between India and Australia proved to be a watershed moment for Harbhajan Singh. But, do you know the selectors were initially reluctant in picking the off-spinner for the series?

Harbhajan was going through a tumultuous time in the lead-up to that series. After having made his debut in 1998, he had spent the past two years in the wilderness. He had lost his father and was even discarded from the National Cricket Academy [NCA] on disciplinary issues and had he not been selected for the 2001 rubber on the insistence of Sourav Ganguly, he would have settled in Canada.

The result- Harbhajan claimed 32 Australian wickets- the next best was Zaheer Khan and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sachin-tendulkar-donates-inr-50-lakh-towards-coronavirus-relief-fund/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sachin Tendulkar</a> with three each- across the three Tests in India&#8217;s historic Test series win and then went on to become the country&#8217;s most successful off-spinner with close to 700 International wickets.

6. Dhoni- Giving Joginder Sharma the final over in the 2007 T20 WC

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-406840" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Joginder-Sharma.jpg" alt="Joginder Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406840" class="wp-caption-text">Joginder Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

&#8220;Bhajji wasn’t feeling a hundred perfect about his bowling, so I thought why not give it to someone who wants to do well at the International level rather than someone who isn’t confident” MS Dhoni when he was asked by Ravi Shastri in the post-match presentation as to why he chose to give <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/joginder-sharma-feels-that-ms-dhoni-could-be-preparing-himself-in-a-different-way-while-staying-away-from-the-game/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joginder Sharma</a> the final over in the 2007 T20 WC Final against Pakistan.

That statement by Dhoni was a reflection of his personality as a leader. He could have easily taken the defensive route and given his experienced bowler in Harbhajan Singh to bowl the final over. But, instead, he chose to give it to someone who was willing to prove his worth at the international level.

Dhoni knew the repercussions, but then, the difference between a captain and a leader is his will to take risks without worrying about the result. Dhoni did just that, and the results were for everyone to see.

7. Ganguly- Fighting tooth and nails with the selectors for Anil Kumble for the 2003-04 Australian tour

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-410208" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sourav-Ganguly-and-Anil-Jumble.jpg" alt="Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410208" class="wp-caption-text">Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

When you think of the 2003-04 Indian tour of Australia, what are the things that strike your mind instantly? Rahul Dravid’s marathon 233 at the Adelaide Oval? VVS Laxman’s gorgeous stroke play throughout the series? Sourav Ganguly’s 144 at the Gabba or Sachin Tendulkar’s defiant 241 at the SCG where he didn’t play a single cover-drive? Ajit Agarkar’s 6-42 at the Oval? Or is it the marathon spells bowled by Anil Kumble- who like a one-man army just bowled and bowled and bowled to keep Australia at tenterhooks?

But, do you know Anil Kumble wasn’t the first choice of selectors for the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/parthiv-patel-and-dean-jones-engage-in-a-funny-twitter-banter-on-the-australians-birthday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australian </a>tour? The reasoning that selectors gave was that ‘Jumbo’ does not take wickets outside the sub-continent and they wanted a left-arm spin of Murali Karthik to replace the champion leg-spinner. Enter Sourav Ganguly. The Prince of Kolkata fought tooth and nails with the selectors and even risked his job in order to have him in the set-up.

“I told John if you leave Anil, he may not play for India again. I said I am not going to sign the selection sheet till Anil is in the side,” he added. “The selectors got fed up with me and said if I don’t play well, if the team does not play well and if Kumble does not play well, I will be the first person to go before anyone goes. I said fine, I am ready to take that risk and we will see what happens,” Sourav Ganguly was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The result: Kumble not only finished as the leading wicket-taker in the four-match series&#8211; 24 wickets at 29.58&#8211; but also emerged as the spinner with the most number of wickets- 80- in a calendar year in the history of Test cricket.

8. Dhoni- Promoting himself to No.5 in 2011 WC Final

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-87993" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Indian-captain-Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni World Cup six" width="600" height="420" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87993" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo credit INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

There have been a lot of stories regarding this as to who came up with the idea of promoting Dhoni ahead of Yuvraj in the 2011 World Cup final. While it is obvious that senior players like Sachin and coach<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/gautam-gambhir-reveals-how-he-was-banned-by-the-match-referee-because-of-gary-kirsten/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Gary Kirsten</a> would have played a huge part in the decision making, at the end of the day, if Dhoni wasn’t willing to take the mantle upon himself and spearhead his team to victory, don’t think that it would have materialized.

Dhoni wasn’t in the best of form throughout that World Cup but one thing was always at the back of his mind- the experience of playing alongside Muttiah Muralitharan in the IPL.

With that in mind, the Indian captain promoted himself up the order and along with Gautam Gambhir [97] and Yuvraj Singh steered India towards World Cup glory. Come to think of it, what would have happened that that punt went in vain?

The swords of criticism would have been out because remember, he had promoted himself ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh? It was an incredible risk. But then, as they say, the hallmark of a great leader is that he is willing to take calculated risks for his team. And, Dhoni did that just that on the night of the final in 2011.

Indian cricket, over the years, has been blessed with a plethora of brilliant captains. From Tiger Pataudi to Ajit Wadekar to Kapil Dev to Mohammad Azharuddin to the current era of leaders in Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble to MS Dhoni and now Virat Kohli, everyone has had their fair share of contributions in nurturing Indian cricket and taking it the highest pedestal of world cricket.
If you talk about the past 20 years, the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been the torchbearers of whirlwind change in Indian cricket. While Ganguly took India out of the mess that was the 2000 match-fixing scandal and rebuilt the team in the early years of the 21st century, MS Dhoni helped India break their final hoodoo and finally lay claim to the silverware- something that had alluded them for a long time.
But, this article isn’t about that. It is about the tactical and selectional changes that these two great leaders made, something which proved to be masterstrokes in the long run.
Here’s a look:
<h3>1. Ganguly Promoting Virender Sehwag to the opening slot in Test cricket and giving Dhoni a chance to bat higher in the order</h3>
<figure id="attachment_83346" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-83346" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-83346" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shoaib-Akhtar-and-Virender-Sehwag.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag" width="600" height="422" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-83346" class="wp-caption-text">Indian batsman Virender Sehwag (L) celebrates his century as Pakistani pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar (R) walks past. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
In the early 2000s, the Indian Test team was on a lookout for an opener, who could provide them with an ideal launchpad for the shenanigans of their famed middle-order to take over. Besides that, they were also grappling with how to adjust Virender Sehwag in the line-up.
Sehwag had scored a whirlwind hundred in his debut Test in Bloemfontein but with the middle-order packed to the rafters, the ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ had to warm the bench in the 2002 tour of the Caribbean. But, Ganguly knew the value that Sehwag brought to the Test side, and with the England tour looming, he made up his mind to take on a punt by slotting him at the top of the order.
It is important to remember here that Sehwag was primarily a middle-order batsman and had never opened for his domestic side, and was naturally apprehensive of doing the same in Test cricket. But, Ganguly- a visionary leader that he was- assured Sehwag that even if he fails in the top-order, he wouldn’t get dropped from the side
“Viru told me he had never opened and batted only at 5 or 6 for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-amount-of-freedom-he-gives-is-mesmerising-delhi-capitals-skipper-shreyas-iyer-hails-coach-ricky-ponting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi</a>. ‘What if I get out?’ I told him you can get out even in the middle order. And I batted down the order so that I could have him in my team. And then he opened in England and scored a century…” Ganguly revealed in Breakfast for Champions back in 2018.
Sehwag smashed a whirlwind 96-ball 84 in his very first innings as an opener at the Lord’s and backed it up with a hundred in the next Test in Nottingham, and, the rest, as they say, is history.&nbsp;
Four years later, Ganguly did the same with MS Dhoni when he promoted him to the No.3 spot in an ODI against Pakistan. And, you know what happened after that.

<h3>2. Dhoni- Promoting Rohit Sharma to the top of the order in white-ball cricket</h3>
<figure id="attachment_356551" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-356551" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-356551" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_348483.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-356551" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
11 years after Ganguly pulled off a masterstroke by slotting in Sehwag as a Test match opener, Mahendra Singh Dhoni did the same with Rohit Sharma in white-ball cricket. Just like in the early 2000s when India were struggling to find a potent Test match opener, the Men in Blue were in the same conundrum as they headed into the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
Rohit Sharma had started out as a middle-order batsman in white-ball cricket but for the better part of first five years of his ODI career, his returns were modest, to say the least. With just 2 hundred in his 90-odd ODIs, it looked like Sharma would end up as one of the biggest underachievers despite boasting of such precocious talent.
‘Sharma had batted at the top of the order in the 2013 home series against England but with Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan already in the squad, he wasn’t supposed to open in the Champions Trophy. But, as he had so often done in his career, Dhoni pulled a rabbit out of the hat and slotted Sharma at the top of the order in the opening game against South Africa.
The rest is history. Since that opening game of the 2013 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-capable-of-hosting-t20-world-cup-or-champions-trophy-in-the-next-five-years-ehsan-mani/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Champions Trophy</a>, no ODI opener has scored more runs [7032 in 133 innings], has a better average [59.59] or have scored more hundreds- 27, the next best is Shikhar Dhawan with 17- and of-course more double-hundreds [3] than the ‘Hitman’.

<h3>3. Ganguly- Backing Yuvraj Singh despite inconsistent results initially</h3>
<figure id="attachment_408608" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408608" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-408608" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh-1.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408608" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
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 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/david-warner-reacts-to-aaron-finchs-exclusion-from-fox-crickets-australia-xi-for-2023-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australia </a>in the 2000 ICC Knockout when he shellacked the world champions to the tune of a match-winning 84.&nbsp;
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.&nbsp;

<h3>4. Dhoni- Backing Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja after a series of initial failures</h3>
<figure id="attachment_302447" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-302447" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-302447" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-and-Ravindra-Jadeja.jpg" alt="Ravindra Jadeja" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-302447" class="wp-caption-text">Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
In the last point, we saw how Mahendra Singh Dhoni pulled off a masterstroke by slotting in Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in white-ball cricket.&nbsp; But, would he have been in the team in 2013, let alone open, had MS not supported him to the hilt during the first five years of his career where his performances were mediocre at best.
Rohit averaged a measly 31.67 in his first 87 ODIs with the help of two centuries. He endured his worst year in International cricket in 2012 where he managed just 168 runs in 13 innings at an average of 12.92.&nbsp;
Would any other captain had dropped him after such performances? Probably yes. But, as I said before the hallmark of a truly great leader is that he invests in his players. Which is exactly what Dhoni did with Rohit, and the results are for everyone to see.
Another player that Dhoni backed to the core is <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stay-safe-at-home-runout-mat-hona-ravindra-jadeja-shares-a-hilarious-clip-amid-covid-19-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ravindra Jadeja</a>. Jadeja debuted way back in 2009 and wasn’t even half the player that he is today. He would struggle to clear the infield; get involved in comical run-outs and would frequently get carted around the park. But, once again, Dhoni invested in his all-round talent, something that Virat Kohli’s team is reaping benefit from at present.

<h3>5. Ganguly- Picking Harbhajan Singh in the 2001 series&nbsp;</h3>
<figure id="attachment_410207" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-410207" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-410207" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Harbhajan-Singh-1.jpg" alt="Harbhajan Singh" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410207" class="wp-caption-text">Harbhajan Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
The 2001 Test series between India and Australia proved to be a watershed moment for Harbhajan Singh. But, do you know the selectors were initially reluctant in picking the off-spinner for the series?
Harbhajan was going through a tumultuous time in the lead-up to that series. After having made his debut in 1998, he had spent the past two years in the wilderness. He had lost his father and was even discarded from the National Cricket Academy [NCA] on disciplinary issues and had he not been selected for the 2001 rubber on the insistence of Sourav Ganguly, he would have settled in Canada.
The result- Harbhajan claimed 32 Australian wickets- the next best was Zaheer Khan and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sachin-tendulkar-donates-inr-50-lakh-towards-coronavirus-relief-fund/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sachin Tendulkar</a>&nbsp;with three each- across the three Tests in India’s historic Test series win and then went on to become the country’s most successful off-spinner with close to 700 International wickets.

<h3>6. Dhoni- Giving Joginder Sharma the final over in the 2007 T20 WC</h3>
<figure id="attachment_406840" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406840" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-406840" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Joginder-Sharma.jpg" alt="Joginder Sharma" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406840" class="wp-caption-text">Joginder Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
“Bhajji wasn’t feeling a hundred perfect about his bowling, so I thought why not give it to someone who wants to do well at the International level rather than someone who isn’t confident” MS Dhoni when he was asked by Ravi Shastri in the post-match presentation as to why he chose to give <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/joginder-sharma-feels-that-ms-dhoni-could-be-preparing-himself-in-a-different-way-while-staying-away-from-the-game/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joginder Sharma</a> the final over in the 2007 T20 WC Final against Pakistan.
That statement by Dhoni was a reflection of his personality as a leader. He could have easily taken the defensive route and given his experienced bowler in Harbhajan Singh to bowl the final over. But, instead, he chose to give it to someone who was willing to prove his worth at the international level.
 Dhoni knew the repercussions, but then, the difference between a captain and a leader is his will to take risks without worrying about the result. Dhoni did just that, and the results were for everyone to see.

<h3>7. Ganguly- Fighting tooth and nails with the selectors for Anil Kumble for the 2003-04 Australian tour</h3>
<figure id="attachment_410208" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-410208" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-410208" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sourav-Ganguly-and-Anil-Jumble.jpg" alt="Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410208" class="wp-caption-text">Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
When you think of the 2003-04 Indian tour of Australia, what are the things that strike your mind instantly? Rahul Dravid’s marathon 233 at the Adelaide Oval? VVS Laxman’s gorgeous stroke play throughout the series? Sourav Ganguly’s 144 at the Gabba or Sachin Tendulkar’s defiant 241 at the SCG where he didn’t play a single cover-drive? Ajit Agarkar’s 6-42 at the Oval? Or is it the marathon spells bowled by Anil Kumble- who like a one-man army just bowled and bowled and bowled to keep Australia at tenterhooks?
But, do you know Anil Kumble wasn’t the first choice of selectors for the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/parthiv-patel-and-dean-jones-engage-in-a-funny-twitter-banter-on-the-australians-birthday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australian </a>tour? The reasoning that selectors gave was that ‘Jumbo’ does not take wickets outside the sub-continent and they wanted a left-arm spin of Murali Karthik to replace the champion leg-spinner. Enter Sourav Ganguly. The Prince of Kolkata fought tooth and nails with the selectors and even risked his job in order to have him in the set-up.
“I told John if you leave Anil, he may not play for India again. I said I am not going to sign the selection sheet till Anil is in the side,” he added. “The selectors got fed up with me and said if I don’t play well, if the team does not play well and if Kumble does not play well, I will be the first person to go before anyone goes. I said fine, I am ready to take that risk and we will see what happens,” Sourav Ganguly was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
The result: Kumble not only finished as the leading wicket-taker in the four-match series– 24 wickets at 29.58– but also emerged as the spinner with the most number of wickets- 80- in a calendar year in the history of Test cricket.

<h3>8. Dhoni- Promoting himself to No.5 in 2011 WC Final</h3>
<figure id="attachment_87993" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87993" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-87993" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Indian-captain-Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni World Cup six" width="600" height="420" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87993" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo credit INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
There have been a lot of stories regarding this as to who came up with the idea of promoting Dhoni ahead of Yuvraj in the 2011 World Cup final. While it is obvious that senior players like Sachin and coach<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/gautam-gambhir-reveals-how-he-was-banned-by-the-match-referee-because-of-gary-kirsten/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Gary Kirsten</a> would have played a huge part in the decision making, at the end of the day, if Dhoni wasn’t willing to take the mantle upon himself and spearhead his team to victory, don’t think that it would have materialized.
Dhoni wasn’t in the best of form throughout that World Cup but one thing was always at the back of his mind- the experience of playing alongside Muttiah Muralitharan in the IPL.
With that in mind, the Indian captain promoted himself up the order and along with Gautam Gambhir [97] and Yuvraj Singh steered India towards World Cup glory. Come to think of it, what would have happened that that punt went in vain? 
The swords of criticism would have been out because remember, he had promoted himself ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh? It was an incredible risk. But then, as they say, the hallmark of a great leader is that he is willing to take calculated risks for his team. And, Dhoni did that just that on the night of the final in 2011.

Indian cricket, over the years, has been blessed with a plethora of brilliant captains. From Tiger Pataudi to Ajit Wadekar to Kapil Dev to Mohammad Azharuddin to the current era of leaders in Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble to MS Dhoni and now Virat Kohli, everyone has had their fair share of contributions in nurturing Indian cricket and taking it the highest pedestal of world cricket.
If you talk about the past 20 years, the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been the torchbearers of whirlwind change in Indian cricket. While Ganguly took India out of the mess that was the 2000 match-fixing scandal and rebuilt the team in the early years of the 21st century, MS Dhoni helped India break their final hoodoo and finally lay claim to the silverware- something that had alluded them for a long time.
But, this article isn&#8217;t about that. It is about the tactical and selectional changes that these two great leaders made, something which proved to be masterstrokes in the long run.
Here&#8217;s a look:
<h3>1. Ganguly Promoting Virender Sehwag to the opening slot in Test cricket and giving Dhoni a chance to bat higher in the order</h3>
<figure id="attachment_83346" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-83346" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-83346" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Shoaib-Akhtar-and-Virender-Sehwag.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag" width="600" height="422" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-83346" class="wp-caption-text">Indian batsman Virender Sehwag (L) celebrates his century as Pakistani pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar (R) walks past. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
In the early 2000s, the Indian Test team was on a lookout for an opener, who could provide them with an ideal launchpad for the shenanigans of their famed middle-order to take over. Besides that, they were also grappling with how to adjust Virender Sehwag in the line-up.
Sehwag had scored a whirlwind hundred in his debut Test in Bloemfontein but with the middle-order packed to the rafters, the &#8216;Nawab of Najafgarh&#8217; had to warm the bench in the 2002 tour of the Caribbean. But, Ganguly knew the value that Sehwag brought to the Test side, and with the England tour looming, he made up his mind to take on a punt by slotting him at the top of the order.
It is important to remember here that Sehwag was primarily a middle-order batsman and had never opened for his domestic side, and was naturally apprehensive of doing the same in Test cricket. But, Ganguly- a visionary leader that he was- assured Sehwag that even if he fails in the top-order, he wouldn’t get dropped from the side
&#8220;Viru told me he had never opened and batted only at 5 or 6 for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-amount-of-freedom-he-gives-is-mesmerising-delhi-capitals-skipper-shreyas-iyer-hails-coach-ricky-ponting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi</a>. &#8216;What if I get out?&#8217; I told him you can get out even in the middle order. And I batted down the order so that I could have him in my team. And then he opened in England and scored a century…&#8221; Ganguly revealed in Breakfast for Champions back in 2018.
Sehwag smashed a whirlwind 96-ball 84 in his very first innings as an opener at the Lord’s and backed it up with a hundred in the next Test in Nottingham, and, the rest, as they say, is history. 
Four years later, Ganguly did the same with MS Dhoni when he promoted him to the No.3 spot in an ODI against Pakistan. And, you know what happened after that.

<h3>2. Dhoni- Promoting Rohit Sharma to the top of the order in white-ball cricket</h3>
<figure id="attachment_356551" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-356551" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-356551" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/CT_348483.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-356551" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
11 years after Ganguly pulled off a masterstroke by slotting in Sehwag as a Test match opener, Mahendra Singh Dhoni did the same with Rohit Sharma in white-ball cricket. Just like in the early 2000s when India were struggling to find a potent Test match opener, the Men in Blue were in the same conundrum as they headed into the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
Rohit Sharma had started out as a middle-order batsman in white-ball cricket but for the better part of first five years of his ODI career, his returns were modest, to say the least. With just 2 hundred in his 90-odd ODIs, it looked like Sharma would end up as one of the biggest underachievers despite boasting of such precocious talent.
‘Sharma had batted at the top of the order in the 2013 home series against England but with Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan already in the squad, he wasn’t supposed to open in the Champions Trophy. But, as he had so often done in his career, Dhoni pulled a rabbit out of the hat and slotted Sharma at the top of the order in the opening game against South Africa.
The rest is history. Since that opening game of the 2013 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/pakistan-capable-of-hosting-t20-world-cup-or-champions-trophy-in-the-next-five-years-ehsan-mani/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Champions Trophy</a>, no ODI opener has scored more runs [7032 in 133 innings], has a better average [59.59] or have scored more hundreds- 27, the next best is Shikhar Dhawan with 17- and of-course more double-hundreds [3] than the ‘Hitman’.

<h3>3. Ganguly- Backing Yuvraj Singh despite inconsistent results initially</h3>
<figure id="attachment_408608" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-408608" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-408608" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh-1.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-408608" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
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 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/david-warner-reacts-to-aaron-finchs-exclusion-from-fox-crickets-australia-xi-for-2023-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australia </a>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&#8217;s triumphant 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup campaign and I can&#8217;t help but think what would have happened if Ganguly hadn&#8217;t backed the precocious talent during the initial part of his career. 

<h3>4. Dhoni- Backing Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja after a series of initial failures</h3>
<figure id="attachment_302447" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-302447" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-302447" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-and-Ravindra-Jadeja.jpg" alt="Ravindra Jadeja" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-302447" class="wp-caption-text">Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
In the last point, we saw how Mahendra Singh Dhoni pulled off a masterstroke by slotting in Rohit Sharma at the top of the order in white-ball cricket.  But, would he have been in the team in 2013, let alone open, had MS not supported him to the hilt during the first five years of his career where his performances were mediocre at best.
Rohit averaged a measly 31.67 in his first 87 ODIs with the help of two centuries. He endured his worst year in International cricket in 2012 where he managed just 168 runs in 13 innings at an average of 12.92. 
Would any other captain had dropped him after such performances? Probably yes. But, as I said before the hallmark of a truly great leader is that he invests in his players. Which is exactly what Dhoni did with Rohit, and the results are for everyone to see.
Another player that Dhoni backed to the core is <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stay-safe-at-home-runout-mat-hona-ravindra-jadeja-shares-a-hilarious-clip-amid-covid-19-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ravindra Jadeja</a>. Jadeja debuted way back in 2009 and wasn&#8217;t even half the player that he is today. He would struggle to clear the infield; get involved in comical run-outs and would frequently get carted around the park. But, once again, Dhoni invested in his all-round talent, something that Virat Kohli&#8217;s team is reaping benefit from at present.

<h3>5. Ganguly- Picking Harbhajan Singh in the 2001 series </h3>
<figure id="attachment_410207" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-410207" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-410207" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Harbhajan-Singh-1.jpg" alt="Harbhajan Singh" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410207" class="wp-caption-text">Harbhajan Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
The 2001 Test series between India and Australia proved to be a watershed moment for Harbhajan Singh. But, do you know the selectors were initially reluctant in picking the off-spinner for the series?
Harbhajan was going through a tumultuous time in the lead-up to that series. After having made his debut in 1998, he had spent the past two years in the wilderness. He had lost his father and was even discarded from the National Cricket Academy [NCA] on disciplinary issues and had he not been selected for the 2001 rubber on the insistence of Sourav Ganguly, he would have settled in Canada.
The result- Harbhajan claimed 32 Australian wickets- the next best was Zaheer Khan and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/sachin-tendulkar-donates-inr-50-lakh-towards-coronavirus-relief-fund/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sachin Tendulkar</a> with three each- across the three Tests in India&#8217;s historic Test series win and then went on to become the country&#8217;s most successful off-spinner with close to 700 International wickets.

<h3>6. Dhoni- Giving Joginder Sharma the final over in the 2007 T20 WC</h3>
<figure id="attachment_406840" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406840" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-406840" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Joginder-Sharma.jpg" alt="Joginder Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406840" class="wp-caption-text">Joginder Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
&#8220;Bhajji wasn’t feeling a hundred perfect about his bowling, so I thought why not give it to someone who wants to do well at the International level rather than someone who isn’t confident” MS Dhoni when he was asked by Ravi Shastri in the post-match presentation as to why he chose to give <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/joginder-sharma-feels-that-ms-dhoni-could-be-preparing-himself-in-a-different-way-while-staying-away-from-the-game/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joginder Sharma</a> the final over in the 2007 T20 WC Final against Pakistan.
That statement by Dhoni was a reflection of his personality as a leader. He could have easily taken the defensive route and given his experienced bowler in Harbhajan Singh to bowl the final over. But, instead, he chose to give it to someone who was willing to prove his worth at the international level.
 Dhoni knew the repercussions, but then, the difference between a captain and a leader is his will to take risks without worrying about the result. Dhoni did just that, and the results were for everyone to see.

<h3>7. Ganguly- Fighting tooth and nails with the selectors for Anil Kumble for the 2003-04 Australian tour</h3>
<figure id="attachment_410208" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-410208" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-410208" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sourav-Ganguly-and-Anil-Jumble.jpg" alt="Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410208" class="wp-caption-text">Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
When you think of the 2003-04 Indian tour of Australia, what are the things that strike your mind instantly? Rahul Dravid’s marathon 233 at the Adelaide Oval? VVS Laxman’s gorgeous stroke play throughout the series? Sourav Ganguly’s 144 at the Gabba or Sachin Tendulkar’s defiant 241 at the SCG where he didn’t play a single cover-drive? Ajit Agarkar’s 6-42 at the Oval? Or is it the marathon spells bowled by Anil Kumble- who like a one-man army just bowled and bowled and bowled to keep Australia at tenterhooks?
But, do you know Anil Kumble wasn’t the first choice of selectors for the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/parthiv-patel-and-dean-jones-engage-in-a-funny-twitter-banter-on-the-australians-birthday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australian </a>tour? The reasoning that selectors gave was that ‘Jumbo’ does not take wickets outside the sub-continent and they wanted a left-arm spin of Murali Karthik to replace the champion leg-spinner. Enter Sourav Ganguly. The Prince of Kolkata fought tooth and nails with the selectors and even risked his job in order to have him in the set-up.
“I told John if you leave Anil, he may not play for India again. I said I am not going to sign the selection sheet till Anil is in the side,” he added. “The selectors got fed up with me and said if I don’t play well, if the team does not play well and if Kumble does not play well, I will be the first person to go before anyone goes. I said fine, I am ready to take that risk and we will see what happens,” Sourav Ganguly was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
The result: Kumble not only finished as the leading wicket-taker in the four-match series&#8211; 24 wickets at 29.58&#8211; but also emerged as the spinner with the most number of wickets- 80- in a calendar year in the history of Test cricket.

<h3>8. Dhoni- Promoting himself to No.5 in 2011 WC Final</h3>
<figure id="attachment_87993" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87993" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-87993" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Indian-captain-Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni World Cup six" width="600" height="420" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87993" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo credit INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
There have been a lot of stories regarding this as to who came up with the idea of promoting Dhoni ahead of Yuvraj in the 2011 World Cup final. While it is obvious that senior players like Sachin and coach<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/gautam-gambhir-reveals-how-he-was-banned-by-the-match-referee-because-of-gary-kirsten/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Gary Kirsten</a> would have played a huge part in the decision making, at the end of the day, if Dhoni wasn’t willing to take the mantle upon himself and spearhead his team to victory, don’t think that it would have materialized.
Dhoni wasn’t in the best of form throughout that World Cup but one thing was always at the back of his mind- the experience of playing alongside Muttiah Muralitharan in the IPL.
With that in mind, the Indian captain promoted himself up the order and along with Gautam Gambhir [97] and Yuvraj Singh steered India towards World Cup glory. Come to think of it, what would have happened that that punt went in vain? 
The swords of criticism would have been out because remember, he had promoted himself ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh? It was an incredible risk. But then, as they say, the hallmark of a great leader is that he is willing to take calculated risks for his team. And, Dhoni did that just that on the night of the final in 2011.

If you talk about the past 20 years, the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been the torchbearers of whirlwind change in Indian cricket.

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

If you talk about the past 20 years, the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been the torchbearers of whirlwind change in Indian cricket.

5. Ganguly- Picking Harbhajan Singh in the 2001 series