Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and the Captaincy Decision That Changed Indian Cricket

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Shreevats Goswami has highlighted Sourav Ganguly’s decision to promote Virender Sehwag to the top of the order as one of the defining contributions of his captaincy, while stressing that a leader’s greatest responsibility is to give players complete trust.

Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Goswami, who was part of Virat Kohli’s Under-19 World Cup-winning team in 2008, reflected on the leadership qualities that can shape the careers of players.

“The biggest thing that Sourav Ganguly did was to make Virender Sehwag open. A leader’s job is not only to perform, but to prepare another leader, and he will prepare another leader in return. And the biggest contribution of a captain is to give trust,” Goswami said.

Ganguly’s decision to promote Sehwag came despite the batter previously occupying a lower position in the order. Goswami pointed to the confidence required to make such a call and, crucially, back the player consistently after making it.

“I mean, no other captain would even think of that when a player is batting at number six. Imagine telling a player like that to open and assuring him he gets every match,” he said.

Sourav Ganguly’s role in building India’s next generation

Goswami also credited Ganguly with creating an environment in which several players who would go on to become integral members of India’s successful teams could establish themselves.

“We are talking about the pace battery under Virat Kohli, but there were many players under Sourav Ganguly like Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, and Harbhajan Singh,” Goswami said.

For Goswami, the comparison between different Indian captains ultimately comes down to the ability to identify potential and give players the security to express themselves.

His assessment of Ganguly’s legacy was therefore not limited to his own performances as captain. Instead, Goswami argued that the lasting impact of a leader can be measured by the careers they help build – with Sehwag’s move to opening serving as one of the clearest examples.