5 reasons why Sourav Ganguly was a better captain than MS Dhoni

Man-management

Harbhajan was one of many players who prospered under Ganguly

Most great captains have had one thing in common – their ability to manage and bring the best out of their players. In this respect, Ganguly excelled while Dhoni often left a lot to be desired.

Harbhajan Singh is a case in point. While Ganguly provided him with the necessary support that led to his great performances, Dhoni not only remained aloof, but once even starred in an advertisement that mocked him. Add to that, the inability of VVS Laxman to get in touch with him to inform him of his retirement and you get the impression of a captain who was somewhat insensitive about the attitude of his players.

Ganguly made sure that he dealt with different players according to their temperament and was able to bring the best out of them. The flourishing of young players like Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Sehwag while the prospering of seniors like Kumble and Laxman are prime examples of that.

Dhoni supported certain players but many others didn’t get the same treatment. Pragyan Ojha’s exclusion from the playing XI for the first couple of Tests vs Australia in 2013 after he had been the best bowler in the previous series is one of many instances. His description of Piyush Chawla as being 'not strong enough mentally' during a World Cup match in front of millions of people provides further evidence of this shortcoming in his captaincy.