Sourav Ganguly Reacts To Mithali Raj's Exclusion From India's Semi-Final Squad In Women's World T20

The Indian women's cricket team lost to England in the ICC World T20 semi-final by eight wickets. While the loss squashed India's chances of lifting their maiden World T20 title, the omission of veteran cricketer Mithali Raj from the playing XI grabbed eyeballs for all the wrong reasons. Commenting on the issue, former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said that he was not surprised by Mithali's exclusion. Reiterating his point, Ganguly said, "The best in the world are at times show the door".

"No! I have also sat out in the dugout after captaining India. When I saw Mithali Raj being dropped, I said 'Welcome to the group'," Ganguly said.

Citing his example during the Greg Chappell era, Ganguly said, "Captains are asked to sit, so just do it. I have done it in Faisalabad. I didn't play an ODI game for 15 months when I was probably the best performer in one-day cricket... It happens in life. The best in the world are at times shown the door," Ganguly said, recalling the 2006 second Test against Pakistan.

Ganguly, however, said Mithali will get an opportunity again.

"You should always remember you're best because you did something and there's an opportunity again. So, I am not too disappointed seeing Mithali being asked to sit out. I have not been disappointed to see the reactions on the ground," the 46-year-old said.

"But I am disappointed because India lost the semifinals because I thought they had the team to go the distance. It happens as they say there's no guarantee in life. Do the best," Ganguly further added.

(With IANS Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team India Women Mithali Raj Sourav Ganguly Cricket