5 Players Who Made Their Debut Under Sourav Ganguly But Didn't Get Enough Chance Under MS Dhoni

In the current era, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two of the most polarising figures not only in Indian cricket but also in the sport as a whole. But the credit to revive the Indian cricket team from choppy waters in the last decade or so goes to Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni.

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The Prince of Kolkata resuscitated the Indian team from the despair of the spot-fixing scandal they suffered in 2000. Under Sourav Ganguly, the men in blue found their feet, and he led India to some of the famous Test victories even overseas. Along with captaincy, the left-hander also led from the front with his bat.

On the other hand, there is very little that Mahendra Singh Dhoni hasn’t achieved in his illustrious career. While his captaincy in red-ball cricket doesn’t spell an impressive record, the veteran gave India their first T20 World Cup in 2007 after their World Cup debacle. He also handed India the first ODI World Cup after 28 years, and a Champions Trophy for good measure.

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However, certain players fell out of favour from Ganguly’s era in Dhoni’s era. The wicketkeeper-batsman had his own take while backing up the players. He modelled his team in a way that Dhoni found appropriate to lead, and few players hardly had Dhoni’s backing.

We at Cricket Addictor will take a look at five players who made their debut under Sourav Ganguly but weren’t given many chances under MS Dhoni’s leadership:

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Mohammad Kaif

Mohammad Kaif shot into the limelight, having led India to victory in the U19 World Cup. The right-hander won a Test cap soon after that; however, he was a limited-overs specialist. A vital cog in the middle-order till 2005, the Uttar Pradesh lad scored consistently for the Indian side.

Following a woeful run in the year 2006 in ODI cricket in which his average stood less than 20, he faced an axe from the 50-over squad. However, he continued to chalk up good numbers in Tests that year, averaging 63.40. But even that wasn’t enough for him to win a permanent place in the Test team.

The right-hander could never feature under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. Kaif was also one of the energetic fielders, capable of effecting run-outs and taking high-flying catches Finally, he announced his retirement in July 2018, having played his last international match in 2006.

Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik was not the only gloveman who lost his place to MS Dhoni. But the reality was Dhoni’s influential presence on the field along with his ability behind the stumps and the bat made him irreplaceable. However, Karthik, since his debut in 2004 couldn’t even make a noteworthy impact with the bat to guarantee a regular spot in the team. He played a few games under Dhoni but was not able to nail his place under him.

With the bat, the 34-year old averages 30 in 94 ODIs and averages 25 in 26 Tests. He last played an ODI for India in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup where he got dismissed for 6 as they were eliminated from the tournament. The veteran is unlikely to play any 50-over game again; however, could feature in the T20 World Cup next year in Australia.

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Parthiv Patel

The wicketkeeper-batsman from Gujarat made his international debut in the year 2002. Parthiv Patel’s attacking persona with the bat gave him an elongated run in the Indian team. But again, the emergence of Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni and the left-hander’s sloppy work behind the stumps got him out of the side.

The veteran did keep making sporadic appearances in the national side. However, with the arrival of more glovemen in the domestic circuit, he had to compete harder than ever. The 34-year old has lit up the local arena with a promising display with the bat, including in the IPL.

He received a call-up to the Test team in 2018 against South Africa. He featured in the final two Tests out of the three with mediocre performances with the bat. Parthiv’s return to any format looks unlikely given India’s abundance of options in all the departments.

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Murali Kartik

Like most of the spinners in India, Murali Kartik enjoyed brief success. Having made his debut under Sourav Ganguly, he mainly played second fiddle to the pair of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble. The left-arm spinner continued to play English county cricket and was instrumental in Middlesex’s triumphant campaign in 2008.

Kartik made a comeback to the national team through the Pro40 matches while playing for Middlesex where he bagged 12 wickets in eight games at an average of 20.75. He gave a resounding performance against Australia in 2007 on his return.

However, his homecoming was short-lived. The coming years saw Harbhajan Singh assume the role of the leading spinner and the emergence of Amit Mishra, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja under MS Dhoni’s charge. The 37-year old hung his boots from all forms of cricket in 2014, having played his last international match in 2007.

Dinesh Mongia

Dinesh Mongia may not be the most star-studded player in the Indian line-up that time, but his dedication and doggedness as a floater batsman made his place worth. Mongia enjoyed his major success under Sourav Ganguly. His spot in the team came under suspicion due to the technical flaws. Despite that, he made his way to the World Cup squad in 2003 where India lost to Australia in the final.

But managing 120 runs in 11 fixtures at an average of 20 wasn’t enough to guarantee his spot. Mongia played in India’s inaugural T20 international against South Africa in 2006 where he was the highest run-scorer for them. He still couldn’t feature in India’s T20 World Cup squad in 2007. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in September 2019, having played his last international game in 2007.