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Wouldn't have given the last over to Virat Kohli if I had been captain, says Sourav Ganguly

Virat Kohli dejected after being hit for a six off the fourth ball of the final over

There have been many unexpected moves seen in the 2016 World T20, but no sight was more surprising than that of Virat Kohli with the ball in hand with 8 runs to defend off the last over against West Indies in the semi-final. There have been many interpretations of this move, but none would be as valuable as former India captain Sourav Ganguly’s.

Speaking at an event held in a lounge of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Ganguly spoke about how he would have gone about the job had he been in captain MS Dhoni’s shoes in Thursday’s semi-final, report Anandabaazar Patrika.

“The two best bowlers of the side should bowl the 19th and 20th overs,” Ganguly said. 

Kohli had bowled one over in the middle of the match, and had got a wicket, and was seen telling Dhoni something as the final overs approached. Whatever the two of them discussed, it was Kohli who had the ball in hand for the final over of the match, in which India lost the match and got knocked out.

Would have bowled Kohli for consecutive overs: Ganguly 

Ganguly said, “It is easy to say a lot of things in AC rooms but to do them on the field is difficult. Had I been Dhoni, Kohli wouldn’t have bowled the last over. I would have given him an over right after the one in which he took a wicket.”

One being asked to say who he would have thrown the ball in the last over to, Ganguly did not name Ashwin, who had 2 overs of his quota left, but said, “The 19th and the 20th overs are the most important. The team’s two best bowlers should bowl those two.”

He also said that it was hard to choose favourites between England and West Indies for Sunday’s final, but that West Indies were the team who were slightly ahead because of their hard-hitting batsmen.

He refused to criticise Dhoni’s captaincy, however, saying that he had been a great India captain, and nobody is perfect. 

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