Sourav Ganguly, who led India to the final of the 2003 World Cup, has called MS Dhoni the greatest Indian captain. Dhoni led India to victory in the 2011 World Cup, with a crucial unbeaten 91 in the final against Sri Lanka and Ganguly said Dhoni's leadership record in each of the game's three formats spoke for itself.
"There can't be any doubt about it," Ganguly told Mid-Day. "Dhoni is the greatest captain of our country. His record is proof of that. Under Dhoni, India have won the Twenty20 World Cup and the Asia Cup. Under him, India have become the No. 1 ranked side in Test cricket. And now, we have won the World Cup. Obviously, he is the greatest ever captain to lead India."
Ganguly's pronouncement came a day after Sachin Tendulkar rated Dhoni as the best captain he had played under. Dhoni made his international debut under Ganguly, before becoming a key player under Rahul Dravid's captaincy. Eventually, Dhoni took over the reins of the side and Ganguly even played under him in the closing stages of his international career.
Ganguly said he was sure India would win the tournament once they got past their 2003 nemesis, Australia. "When they beat Australia in the quarter-finals, I knew India would win the World Cup," Ganguly said. "A lot of people thought Sri Lanka would win, but I was confident."