Ganguly Drops Bombshell: VVS Laxman Ignored Him For 3 Months

Despite the setback, the two cricket legends later moved past the issue and went on to share many memorable partnerships for India.

Ganguly shared that Laxman was deeply upset after being dropped from the squad ahead of the 2003 World Cup.

Source : PTI

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has revealed a lesser-known story from his time as skipper, involving teammate VVS Laxman.

In a recent interview, Ganguly shared that Laxman was deeply upset after being dropped from the squad ahead of the 2003 World Cup. Dinesh Mongia was selected in his place, a decision that led to a rift between the two.

Despite the setback, the two cricket legends later moved past the issue and went on to share many memorable partnerships for India.

"It has happened many times when we rested players. They were unhappy. Laxman being left out of the World Cup...he never spoke to me for three months. Then I made up with him. Anybody would get upset...for a World Cup. Especially a player of Laxman's calibre. Quite natural that he would get upset," Ganguly told PTI.

Laxman made a memorable comeback on making his return to ODIs after World Cup in South Africa, where Australia defeated India in the final.

"After we finished the World Cup, he was happy that we did well. When we came back, he returned to the ODI system. He played an outstanding series in Pakistan and Australia. We won in Pakistan for the first time ever, and VVS was very instrumental. They knew at the back of their mind that it was never personal," he added.

Why was Laxman dropped from World Cup squad?

In a past interview on the Caught Behind YouTube channel, former India chief selector Kiran More revealed that all five selectors were in favor of including VVS Laxman in India’s 2003 World Cup squad.

However, the final call rested with then-captain Sourav Ganguly and head coach John Wright, who reportedly had a different vision for the team combination.

"Before the 2003 ODI World Cup selection meeting, we had a huge argument when the Indian team was playing in New Zealand. As per the inputs received from the captain and the coach, we selected a 14-member squad and asked them what they thought of it," said More.