Team India players refrained from taking on rival players when something was said to them. The cricketers from the subcontinent were known for their soft nature, and the opposition used to sledge them to break their concentration.

However, everything changed when Sourav Ganguly took over as the captain in early 2000. The entire outlook of the team was different, and players were more than happy to get into verbal arguments with the opposition. Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta revealed that the entire shift happened once Ganguly became the captain.

“It was under Sourav’s captaincy that the Indian team started to give it back to the others. We would not channelize it but also gave it back as well. His nickname Maharaj suited him because he liked to be the king on the field, and that was seen as well,” he said on Doordarshan.

The cricketer shared the dressing room with the former skipper not only for India but also for Bengal. He made his debut in the Test and ODI formats under Sourav’s leadership in 2001 and had a short career of eight Tests and five ODIs.

Deep’s most famous knock was the 100 in the first innings of the Mohali Test against England. Known for his ability to play fast bowlers, the batter exhibited great courage with the bat in his debut series against South Africa, playing the likes of Pollock, Ntini, Hayward, and Jacques Kallis.

“From my first tour of South Africa to my last tour of Australia in 2003, one could see the change. Earlier it was more restrained, but by 2003 if someone said something, we would give it back in equal measure,” he added.

Where does Sourav Ganguly rank as an Indian captain?

Taking over the team in 2000, the left-handed batter had to rebuild the entire side. It was Ganguly who gave breaks to the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan and recalled Nehra, Sehwag, and Harbhajan Singh back into the side. Dada, as he is fondly called, also advocated for the inclusion of one MS Dhoni and made the Men in Blue one of the most exciting sides. Under his captaincy, India won 21 out of the 49 Tests and also 76 ODI games. India reached the final of the 2003 World Cup.