"Greg Chappell Wanted To Coach KKR With Me As Captain": Sourav Ganguly's Stunning Revelation
Sourav Ganguly revealed that he had received a message from Greg Chappell on his desire to coach Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), even after their well-documented fallout in the Indian team.
- Sourav Ganguly has revealed that Greg Chappell wanted to coach Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL
- "He emailed me in 2011, when I was KKR captain. He wanted to coach KKR, with me as captain," Ganguly revealed
- "I don't answer him. I don't answer people who are not honest," Ganguly further stated
Legendary India captain Sourav Ganguly shares an infamous relationship with former Australia cricketer and coach Greg Chappell. Their fallout during Chappell's tenure as head coach of India in the mid-2000s, during which Ganguly was dropped from the side, is a well-documented episode of Indian cricket. However, Ganguly has now made a stunning revelation. Speaking on a podcast, Ganguly shared that he had once received an email from Chappell in 2011, expressing his interest to coach Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"He (Chappell) had emailed me in 2011, when I was KKR captain. I was checking my mail one morning at my England home. I saw his mail and thought, 'Am I still sleeping?'. Then I checked it properly, checked the name and checked the ID, because a lot of fake mails come," Ganguly narrated on the AddaGB podcast.
"He wanted to coach KKR. With me as captain!" Ganguly revealed.
Ganguly then joked about the reaction of the people upon hearing the revelation.
"(People) must be thinking that Dada couldn't be that big of a fool. He might have been a fool once, but surely he couldn't be fooled again."
As it turned out, even Ganguly did not remain at KKR for the 2011 season, being released by the franchise ahead of the mega auction. Ganguly eventually went unsold in the auction, before joining Pune Warriors India (PWI) for two seasons in 2011 and 2012. KKR, on the other hand, bought Gautam Gambhir for 2011, making him their new captain.
Ganguly endured a tumultuous period with Australian coaches during the 2000s. While he was dropped from the Indian team by Chappell, he was also axed as KKR captain in 2009, when John Buchanan was in charge.
Ganguly further reflected on his relationship with Chappell, stating that he does not answer his messages.
"I don't answer him. I don't answer people who are not honest," he stated.
India Cricket Team
Kolkata Knight Riders