Former India captain Sourav Ganguly shared some surprising details from 2003. He mentioned that his former teammate VVS Laxman didn’t talk to him for three months after Ganguly dropped him from the ODI World Cup squad, replacing him with Dinesh Mongia. Last year, Kiran More, who was leading the selection committee, said all five selectors wanted Laxman on the team, but Ganguly and coach John Wright had other ideas.
Before the selection meeting for the World Cup, tensions were high during the Indian team’s tour in New Zealand. More explained that they had a big discussion, and while they had picked Laxman as a middle-order batter, Ganguly suggested they needed an all-rounder instead. More praised Ganguly for his sharp cricketing mind.
Despite playing 86 ODIs and scoring over 2,300 runs, Laxman never got to play in a World Cup match. Ganguly recalled Laxman’s disappointment after he was left out, noting that it was pretty normal for someone of his talent to be upset. Eventually, they made up after three months.
When Laxman returned to the ODI team after the World Cup, he had a great series in Pakistan and Australia. Ganguly said Laxman contributed significantly, especially since India won in Pakistan for the first time. He emphasized that Laxman understood it wasn’t personal.