"Sourav Ganguly would have helped KKR win 3-4 IPL trophies" - Mohammad Kaif feels Ganguly deserved more backing as captain in IPL
Former Indian all-rounder Mohammad Kaif believes that the Kolkata Knight Riders would have won three or four IPL trophies had they backed former captain Sourav Ganguly for longer.
Ganguly was the captain of KKR in IPL 2008. The team made an excellent debut against RCB under his captaincy, but failed to qualify for the semifinals.
In 2009, Brendon McCullum replaced Ganguly as the skipper. While KKR failed to progress again, Ganguly was retained as the captain for the 2010 season.
In 2011, KKR released Ganguly ahead of the IPL Auction. The southpaw remained unsold before joining Pune Warriors as a replacement.
The Warriors appointed Ganguly as their skipper, but the veteran Indian player was past his prime and could not make much of an impact.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda Cricket, Mohammad Kaif was asked who the best captain to have never won the IPL trophy was. Replying to the question, Kaif said:
"I think it has to be Sourav Ganguly. He did not have a long captaincy career in the IPL, but I have played under his leadership. If he captained more, he would have helped KKR become the champions because he is a master at man management.
"In my opinion, Sourav Ganguly did not get enough opportunities to lead a team in the IPL. T20 cricket was new back then, and he was trying to understand how things work. If he got more chances, suppose if he led KKR in 4-5 or maybe 8 seasons, Ganguly would have helped KKR win 3-4 IPL trophies."
"He took Indian cricket to a whole a new level"- Wasim Jaffer comments on Sourav Ganguly's leadership
Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer was also asked the same question, and he picked two former Kolkata Knight Riders captains - Sourav Ganguly and Eoin Morgan.
"Out of all the people, I would say Sourav Ganguly. I don't think he captained much in the IPL, but he was one of those players who took Indian cricket to a whole new level," Jaffer said.
"Eoin Morgan is also such a good captain. I rate him very highly as a captain. He played a huge role in England cricket's transformation, and he has not been able to win an IPL trophy also. So, I would say Ganguly and Eoin Morgan," he concluded.
While Ganguly could never take his team to the Top 4, Morgan helped KKR end IPL 2021 as the runners-up. Both players have retired now. Ganguly is a member of Delhi Capitals' backroom staff, while Morgan works as a commentator.