Didn't expect Dhoni to be picked for SA T20s as Rishabh Pant rightly deserves more chances: Ganguly
New Delhi, Aug 31: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly didn't expect Mahendra Singh Dhoni to be "picked" for the upcoming T20 Internationals against South Africa and said the team management is absolutely right in persisting with young Rishabh Pant.
The 38-year-old Dhoni's future in international cricket has been a topic of debate with the national selectors showing an inclination to look towards the future.
While Ganguly doesn't want people to "jump the gun" as far as Dhoni's future is concerned, he made it clear that skipper Virat Kohli's "expectations" and "what he is communicating" to the senior-most player in the team is paramount.
"No, I didn't expect him to be picked for this series (against South Africa)," Ganguly replied when asked if he was surprised with Dhoni's omission even though the official reason is his "unavailability".
"You could make out from West Indies (T20) series, that they (team management) wanted to give Rishabh a chance. They want to pursue with him, which is rightly so. Because when MS came in young, he was also persisted with," said Dhoni's first international captain.
However, one of India's best captains agreed that it's a tricky situation which skipper Kohli needs to deal with.
"I think Virat is very important as to what he is communicating to Dhoni. What he (Kohli) expects of him (Dhoni) is very hard to say. But I don't think anybody should jump the gun and pass a statement," said the 47-year-old former skipper.
"I don't know what's the communication between, Dhoni, the selectors and the team management. I am a bit far off from those discussions," he added.
For every elite athlete at the business end of their careers, a situation comes where they have to take a hard call, feels Ganguly.
"For every cricketer, there comes a stage and it hasn't left any athlete --whether its Maradona, Sampras, Tendulkar and now Dhoni. When you get to that sort of an age, you will get to that kind of a situation.
"If Virat and team management expects Dhoni to comeback and play, he will play, if they feel like moving forward, they would move forward. Of course, the selectors will also play an important role," he opined.
Ganguly also doesn't want Pant to be compared to a legend like Dhoni.
Asked if there is this "elephant in the room" (Dhoni) for Pant, Ganguly sounded dismissive.
"There is no elephant in the room. Rishabh is no MS Dhoni and will not become MS Dhoni in the next 3-4 years. It took 15 years for MS Dhoni to become "the MS Dhoni". Dhoni is a special breed in Indian cricket," said Ganguly, who also works with Pant as a 'Mentor' of Delhi Capitals.
But at the same time, he finds it baffling that there were calls from some quarters to drop the young keeper-batsman just because he has failed in one match despite his phenomenal Test record.
"I was reading somewhere after he failed in just two innings in the first Test match, that whether he will play the next Test match. I said "what?", this fellow got a hundred, only one Test ago (in Australia) and a couple of 92s few matches before that (against West Indies). He is special although I won't compare him with Dhoni."
A fit-again Wriddhiman Saha, who is a month shy of turning 35, has returned to the Indian Test squad but Ganguly said he has no option but to wait.
"Wriddhiman will have to wait for his chance. Age doesn't matter here," said Ganguly.
Kohli is on the verge of becoming India's most successful Test captain with 28 wins if his team wins the ongoing second Test against the West Indies in Kingston.
"Virat is a tremendous captain and he is getting better and better. He was criticised when he wasn't doing well for RCB in the IPL and even then I had said that I believe he is a good captain. I think he has progressed well," he said.
The West Indies team has been on a steady decline in the past few decades.
While Ganguly doesn't want to compare Caribbean outfits from the past, he is a bit taken aback by their lack of positive intent.
"But I am surprised with the way West Indies play Test cricket. They enjoyed winning tosses and putting opposition in and batting on 4th day when they have no chance," he concluded.
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AAP indulging in 'dangerous vendetta politics': Raghav Chadha after meeting President Murmu
New Delhi (PTI): Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of indulging in 'vendetta politics' and misusing the state machinery to target the MPs who recently quit the party and merged with the BJP in the Rajya Sabha.
Chadha, along with three other MPs, met President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday and submitted a representation alleging harassment and "politically motivated" action against them following their exit from AAP.
Rajya Sabha MPs Rajinder Gupta and Ashok Mittal were part of the delegation.
"All those MPs who exercised their constitutional right to express disagreement with the Aam Aadmi Party and chose to leave it, and all these incidents and developments, have been presented today before the President of India. I also want to tell the Aam Aadmi Party that as long as we were obedient, we were considered cultured. The moment we left, we were branded corrupt," Chadha told reporters here after the meeting.
He alleged that several former AAP MPs who have joined the BJP are facing intimidation and coercive actions from state agencies.
"The Aam Aadmi Party, which accuses everyone else of revenge politics, is today itself indulging in dangerous vendetta politics. Since April 24, when we left AAP and merged with the BJP, our MPs are being systematically targeted and harassed," he said.
Citing specific instances, Chadha claimed that former cricketer and MP Harbhajan Singh has been attacked, while industrialist and MP Rajendra Gupta's business operations have allegedly been disrupted.
"We left the Aam Aadmi Party on April 24, 2026, and merged with the BJP. Since then, harassment of our MPs has begun. First, World Cup-winning cricketer Harbhajan Singh had "traitor" written outside his house. Stones were thrown at his residence with the help of Punjab Police, and offensive slogans were raised targeting his family," he alleged.
"Then, our colleague Rajinder Gupta, a Padma Shri awardee and an industrialist running a major factory in Punjab's Malwa region--providing livelihood to around 30,000 people--had his factory targeted. The Punjab government allegedly cut off its water supply, and the Pollution Board conducted raids to initiate its closure," he said.
He further claimed that cases have been registered against MP Sandeep Pathak, terming them "malicious and fabricated".
"These FIRs and notices are so frivolous that they are not worth the paper they are written on. The judiciary will tear them apart," Chadha said.
He warned the AAP government that such actions could have serious consequences. "Using vigilance, the Pollution Board, and the police for political revenge is a dangerous game. You may have started it, but the end will not be good. This must stop," he said.
"The AAP has a government in one state and control over the police there. The BJP has governments in 21 states and control over police forces in those states," he added.
Chadha also alleged that attempts are being made to target him next through "fabricated cases" and claimed that social media campaigns are being run to malign them.
Appealing to Punjab government officials, he urged them not to act under political pressure. "I want to tell officials that you are respected officers. Do not succumb to threats of transfer or suspension. Act according to law and in national interest," he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP also took a swipe at the AAP, saying those who invoke Mahatma Gandhi's ideals are now misusing state machinery for political purposes. "The people of Punjab must know how their government is being used to settle political scores," Chadha added.
Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak alleged that the party is now resorting to coercive measures out of "fear and panic".
"We joined the Aam Aadmi Party because it showed the country a dream -- a dream of starting a new kind of politics, an honest form of politics. While being there, due to ideological reasons and after witnessing several inconsistencies, we decided to leave the party," he said.
"Out of fear and panic, the Aam Aadmi Party is now filing FIRs. They are conducting raids in factories and trying to intimidate people through false FIRs. I want to say 'go ahead, file FIRs', but do not back off afterwards. We will fight legally," he told reporters.
Advising the AAP government, Pathak asserted that governance, not intimidation, is the only way forward.
"You cannot save a government through such dirty tactics. If you want to retain power, you must work honestly. If you think you can stop us through false and fabricated FIRs, that is not possible. We have stepped out ready to sacrifice everything and will do what is right for the country," he said.
Pathak mentioned that the President assured them that constitutional protections would be upheld.
Taking a swipe at the ruling party, Chadha said its tenure in Punjab is now short-lived. "This government has only a few months left; it will go. They will simply board the Shatabdi and return to Delhi. They have no future in Punjab," he said.
Later, in a post on X, Chadha said that he, along with three other MPs, conveyed to the President how the AAP's Punjab government is misusing state machinery to target them for exercising their constitutional rights.
"The party that once cried vendetta is now practising its most toxic form," he wrote.
"We take strength from the President's assurance that constitutional rights and democratic choices must be respected," he added, while likening the AAP's conduct to that of a "bitter and vindictive" former ally.
