Sourav Ganguly has taken charge as the BCCI President and we can't wait for him to start his tenure. A much-loved Indian captain, Ganguly took to the office in the same blazer that he wore as Indian skipper. Here are five things to expect from his tenure.
Pink ball Tests
The BCCI has been against Pink ball and day-night Tests but Ganguly has always been in favour of the innovation in Test cricket. In fact, in his term as Cricket Association of Bengal President, Ganguly oversaw a pink ball first class game. With him at the helm now, we could see India playing a pink ball day-night Test at home, or at least on one of their away tours.
Forthrightness
It is a quality that Ganguly carries unabashedly. The former skipper has had no qualms answering at the press conferences and has been very forthright in his replies. From smashing questions on Shastri out of the park to dealing with Dhoni's future with authority, Ganguly hasn't minced words and this should see the media having a gala time during his term, albeit with little left to spurn stories according to imagination.
Read | Why Sourav Ganguly is the perfect fit as BCCI President
Lesser Shastri dominance
Ravi Shastri and Ganguly don't see eye to eye and it is no secret to the public. Ganguly has seen off questions on Shastri with a smile on his face (perhaps a smirk?) and while Shastri and Kohli continue to be bosses, Ganguly at the top of the BCCI office means that their powers could diminish a bit, particularly since Ganguly is proving to be a cricket-first administrator.
It is heartening to see a sportsman being given the responsibily of sports administration today. Only a sportsman can best understand the challenges and is most suited to contribute to the progress of #sports Congratulations Sourav on becoming the President of @BCCI @SGanguly99
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) October 23, 2019
A decision on Dhoni
MS Dhoni has delayed his retirement from the shorter formats and his uncertain future has raised several speculations. When naming the team for Bangladesh after Ganguly took charge, though, MSK Prasad clarified that they had to move on from Dhoni. Is that a sign of things to come?
Ganguly did have a talk with Prasad before the team was announced. Was it Ganguly's hand in ensuring Dhoni wouldn't come back? Either way, we are certain to get more clarity in the coming days on Dhoni's future.
Representation at ICC
“We haven’t received any money from ICC in the last few years. Money in the sense what we deserve," Ganguly said while taking charge.
As per the 2017 revenue model drafted, BCCI is set to receive $293 million from 2016-2023. This is way less than what BCCI actually want as they are responsible for a large chunk of revenue the ICC generates. Ganguly has stated that getting representation at ICC will be one of his priorities.
Read | Sourav Ganguly's rise: Today cricket, tomorrow India
Featured image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe
