Sourav Ganguly's Anticipated Return to Indian Cricket: Tactical Brilliance or Emotional Blunder?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni may go down in history as India's most successful skipper but Sourav Ganguly's stint at the helm will remain one of the most memorable phases of Indian cricket.

The 'Prince of Calcutta' successfully pulled India out of wreckage after the match-fixing saga rocked the nation in 1999. In his five-year-long stint as skipper between 2000 and 2005, 'Dada' emerged as a true leader of men and set a high standard for future Indian captains. A decade after laying a strong foundation for a successful Indian side, can Ganguly rule the dressing room again? (Ganguly Would Do Great as India Coach: Brett Lee)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has shown keen interest in availing the services of yesteryear greats and adding them to the backroom staff to help nurture a side full of future stars. Ganguly's name is right at the top of that list, as rumours of him becoming India's next coach or High Performance Manager or even taking over from Ravi Shastri as the Team Director have refused to die down.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has admitted that the Board has indeed approached Ganguly, but has refused to elaborate on the role offered to the former skipper. The saga of 'Will he? Won't he?' regarding the job will rumble on until an announcement is made, but here's why the move may or may not work. (Ganguly Not Set for Long Role?)

Why Ganguly's return may work

Under Ganguly's shrewd captaincy, the Indian team learnt the art of winning abroad - a key characteristic that is missing from the current side's psyche.

The Indian team returned with just one win (at Lord's) in eight Tests in England and Australia last year and the focus in the new era, under Virat Kohli, would be to improve results abroad. The opportunity for a young Indian side to pick on Ganguly's cricketing brain on overseas tours will undoubtedly be valuable. If appointed, Ganguly's most important assignment could be to provide a blueprint for success away from home and the feisty Indian skipper has solid credentials for the job. (Team India Coach to be Announced by June 6: Anurag Thakur)

Ganguly also has the distinction of successfully managing big egos and overseeing the growth of champion players like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag. The prospect of Ganguly preparing the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul for a long future sounds like a good idea. A lot of experienced voices, like Sunil Gavaskar and Brett Lee, have also suggested that Ganguly's involvement with the current side could only be fruitful. (Ganguly's Appointment Not Decided Yet: Thakur)

Why Ganguly's return may not work

England's newly-appointed Australian coach Trevor Bayliss kick-started his tenure by saying, "The first thing is, it shouldn't be about the coach, it's about the players. I've had my time in the sun." Can Ganguly share a similar thought? Perhaps not.

The success of a team depends on how compatible the personalities of the captain and the coach are. Despite all the meticulous hard work behind-the-scenes, the best coaches and managers are the ones who let the focus remain entirely on the team that takes the field. The limelight belongs to those who score runs and pick wickets. Will Ganguly be able to take a step back and let the players narrate their stories of success in the media?

Ganguly enjoyed excellent camaraderie and great success with a behind-the-scenes tactician John Wright. The Greg Chappell era that followed, however, ended in disaster. Chappell matched Ganguly's confrontational skills and the two were never in sync. Constant fallouts and poor results led to Chappell's eventual ouster. Gary Kirsten took over and exhibited great managerial skills that led to India's World Cup 2011 triumph. Kirsten was duly hailed by the Indian side who famously carried him on their shoulders for a victory lap at the Wankhede.

Even Duncan Fletcher, who was credited with the resurgence of England cricket between 1999 and 2007, let Dhoni run the show. Can Ganguly adopt such a hands-off approach, if appointed?

After being at the helm for a long period of his playing career, will Ganguly fit the role of supporting cast? Will his natural instincts of calling the shots not take over? What about his working relationship with skipper Virat Kohli - another character tailor-made for the limelight? Indian cricket is a blockbuster, and no blockbuster can have two leading heroes.

In his brief career so far, Kohli has often worn his emotions on his sleeve and has never been shy of a confrontation. Wouldn't a coach of a calmer demeanour help Kohli keep his emotions in check? Can two massive egos co-exist as the fulcrum of Indian cricket?

Ganguly as High Performance Manager or Team Director?

A major stumbling block in Ganguly taking up a long-term role with the Indian side is his commitment to the Cricket Association of Bengal and media organisations. Ganguly is the Joint Secretary of CAB and does several commentary stints.

If appointed as High Performance Manager, Ganguly will be required to draw up future plans and targets for the team and help each individual player realise his full potential. Ganguly will also have to undertake the minutely-detailed process of scouting for talent from all over the country. That would require his full attention and it would seem a tall order for him to juggle between both posts.

For the first time during India's tour of Australia in 2014, the post of Team Director was created and former cricketer Ravi Shastri was appointed. According to an ESPNCricinfo report, coach Fletcher prepared the team for the games and Shastri played the role of a facilitator between the players, coach, selectors and BCCI and was also responsible for the team's overall performance.

Shastri has had a positive impact on the players, with the likes of Rahane and Dhawan thanking the former India cricketer for giving them the 'confidence' to perform better. So why replace him now?

Ganguly has the drive and the cricketing acumen to be part of India's backroom staff. Often, in the past, the erstwhile skipper has expressed his desire to give back to the game that has given him so much. His successful career, fabulous numbers as a batsman and a solid track record as captain tip the scales heavily in his favour.

But are these good enough reasons to re-unite him with the Indian dressing room? Only BCCI knows!