MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly were totally different, but knew how to bring the best out of players: Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra, the former Indian fast bowler, said that MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly’s leadership style were completely different. At the time when Nehra burst on to the scene back in the early 2000s, Ganguly was in charge. Though he had moments of brilliances, he had troubles with his consistency. Then he went on to play under MS Dhoni and finally under Virat Kohli back in 2017.

Nehra also plied his trade under the Jharkhand-born Dhoni, representing the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Talking about him and Ganguly, the 41-year-old retired speedster said that both of them knew the art of bringing the best out of individuals.

“Both (MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly) were totally different. But they both knew how to get the best out of their players. When Ganguly took over the team was new while Dhoni had the challenge of managing senior players in the side,” Nehra was quoted as saying in Times Now.

Ganguly supported all the young players: Ashish Nehra

When Ganguly took over as India’s skipper, the team was reeling from the aftermath of match-fixing scandals. But then his men turned over a near-invincible Australia in 2001. Dhoni, on the other hand, was given the mantle after India made an early exit from the 2007 World Cup.

About Ganguly, Nehra said that he supported players to the hilt despite not having odds in his favour. Throwing light on Dhoni’s qualities, Nehra stated that he should be lauded for the way he dealt with the senior members of the side.

“Ganguly had youngsters who he needed to take forward and improve. He supported all the young players and backed the players he felt were good. When we beat Australia in 2001 things changed and this was Ganguly’s quality that he went against all odds to back his players,” he stated.

“Dhoni is not an impulsive guy and a very calculative captain. He also tried to give more chances to players and he partnered well with head coach Gary Kirsten. He needs to be appreciated for the way he handled the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman who were there when he took over as captain. He carried himself and the team amazingly well,” Nehra added.