Sourav Ganguly reveals why VVS Laxman didn't speak to him for 3 months: '…it was never personal'

VVS Laxman did not talk to Sourav Ganguly for months, reveals former India captain. (Photo: X)

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman enjoyed one of the most celebrated careers in international cricket, earning admiration for his grit, artistry, and match-winning performances. However, one glaring omission in his otherwise illustrious journey remains his absence from any ICC World Cup appearance. Laxman was dropped from the squad for the 2003 World Cup in December 2002, with Dinesh Mongia replacing him in a decision that stirred significant controversy.

Despite Mongia not even being part of the Zimbabwe tour — around which the selection meeting revolved — the primary contest was between him and Laxman. While Laxman was a household name in Tests, his ODI numbers did not quite support his claim: 1240 runs at a strike rate of 67.02 and an average of 27.55. Mongia, on the other hand, was favoured for his superior fielding abilities and utility as an all-rounder.

Also Read - Sanjiv Goenka's 'two good' post for Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul triggers IPL jokes: 'Aapke 27cr se practice karke...'

Recalling the emotional aftermath, then-captain Sourav Ganguly told PTI that Laxman was deeply disappointed and didn’t speak to him for months.

“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. After we finished the World Cup, he was happy that we did well,” he said.

India went on to finish as runners-up in the 2003 World Cup, and Laxman would later make a strong comeback to the ODI side. Ganguly acknowledged the batter’s contributions upon return, particularly in historic away victories.

Also Read - Rishabh Pant: Double whammy – self-admonishment works wonders for the 'Indian Eric Cantona'

“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.”

Interestingly, Ganguly and then head coach John Wright were at odds with former chief selector Kiran More, who offered a different version of events in a 2023 interview on the Caught Behind YouTube channel. More revealed that all five selectors had initially backed Laxman for the World Cup squad, but it was Ganguly who swayed the final decision.

"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.

"Over the conference call, Ganguly had a different opinion. We had selected VVS Laxman as our middle-order batter. Ganguly was very smart. He was a brilliant captain, a person with a great cricketing brain. He said 'we need an all-rounder'.

"All five selectors were on the same page. We thought, 'how could we drop someone like Laxman'. But when we eventually had an elaborate discussion with all the stakeholders including captain, coach, and vice-captain Rahul Dravid, we eventually took a big call that we have to give them what they want," he concluded.

According to Kiran More, Laxman was so disheartened that he did not speak to the selectors for nearly two years. The selection committee, he noted, never officially revealed that the decision had been driven by Ganguly.