The man is back. So is the rhythm of Kolkata. One innings, one victory brought huge relief to the City of Joy and Sourav Ganguly has not stopped smiling since then.
What is he thinking now? What are his plans for the remaining part of the IPL?
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, the Knight Riders captain spoke about his return to form, opening the batting and Shah Rukh Khan.
Excerpts:
Gulf News: Why are you wearing the number one jersey?
Ganguly: Good question. Yes I wore this number when I was captain in the World Cup in 2003. I used many numbers at the back. But I finally decided to go with number one this time, not for any particular reason. They wanted to know my number and I spontaneously gave them the number one.
Everybody says that you brought back the good old days during your innings against Deccan Chargers. Do you feel that you could have played in international cricket even now?
I know I can play in international cricket even now. I believe that. But that is past now. I wanted to bid adieu to the cricket world with my head held high. I did so and that was a perfect swansong for me. I don't miss it any more. That chapter is closed. But if you ask me whether I could have played international cricket even now, I would say, yes.
Is it another comeback from Sourav Ganguly, the man synonymous with comebacks?
Not really. I was playing well in this IPL. I got a 50 in Mohali against Kings XI. Then there were some 30s. But you have to go after the bowling in T20 and I did so in Eden. So that was satisfying.
What prompted you to play such an innings?
See, we had to win the match to be in contention for the semifinals. It was a must-win match for us. And I am happy that I could deliver when the team needed it most.
The situation was not ideal for you. The team was not doing well. You were not among big scores, too. People were criticising you both as captain and batsman…
I don't mind all these. If you are in such a high-profile sport, your performances are going to be talked about. You have to live with it. But cannot shift your focus. And after so many years in international cricket, I know how to switch off myself from the outer world.
But, was not it unfair to be criticised in such a manner?
Look, we did not do well in the first two editions of the tournament. The fans were disappointed. We have to admit that. This year, we won the first two and then lost three on the trot. So, again the fans were hugely disappointed. When we could not meet their expectations, criticism will be there and you have to take it.
Do you still need to prove a point or two to somebody?
Certainly not. The only thing I wanted was a win for my team. I wanted to contribute and I did so. That's it.
Then why did you point a finger to your chest and look at the clubhouse where the press and commentators were sitting?
I was a bit pumped up. It was a do or die situation for my team and I knew, if we could set a big target for them to chase, we stand a good chance of winning the match. So, when I reached 50, it came out spontaneously.
Like the T-shirt incident at Lord's?
(Laughs) Well, that was something different. Here I was too happy to give the team a good platform.
What did Shah Rukh Khan say to you after the match?
He is very happy. There was a party after the match. He was there with his family.
Don't you feel that Shah Rukh should not have tweeted like that before the Deccan match?
Please don't look at it that way. I know him. He is too passionate. And he was disappointed with the performance of the team. That is why he wrote. But I don't see any problem with it.
Gayle used to face the first delivery. But you chose to do so in the match against Deccan. Why?
Somehow I felt I should do so. I was confident that I would be able to do it this time. And those two boundaries in the very first over helped me to settle down.
Missed a hundred again. Was it necessary to go after another six when you already had three sixers in the same over?
The team's win is more important than my hundred. If I was playing for my hundred, I could have reached there, but the team would have lost a few very important runs. And I had never played for centuries.
You did not open in the first few games. But later you changed your decision. Why?
That was a mistake on my part. I should have done so from the very first match. You can play more balls, can play with more responsibility. I'll continue do so in the remaining matches.
There are people who thought otherwise…
I don't bother. I know what Sunil Gavaskar had said — from start, someone has to be there till the 17-18th over even in a T20 match. I was trying to do the same. Sachin does it for his team. These are important to me since it is coming from the persons who know their cricket and know exactly what is going on.
At the moment, you are the fourth-highest run scorer in the IPL. How does it feel?
Is it so? I didn't know. When I used to play for India, I knew every stat. But these days, those are totally irrelevant for me. I am happy to be performing. And there lies the satisfaction.
