Dhoni was sitting in shorts. Then Ganguly asked him to bat at No 3 vs Pakistan. What happened next

Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, is well-known for his bold decisions and instilling a fighting spirit in the squad. Fondly known as Dada, he also provided opportunities to young talents like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, and Harbhajan Singh. Ganguly's captaincy also marked the debut of MS Dhoni in 2004. During a crucial match against Pakistan in Vizag, Ganguly made a strategic move, promoting Dhoni to bat at number 3, a decision that led to Dhoni's explosive innings of 148 runs. This move showcased Ganguly's confidence in Dhoni and played a pivotal role in shaping Dhoni into a great wicketkeeper-batsman, finisher, and later as a successful captain.

In his early days, Dhoni used to bat at No 7, struggling to make the desired impact. In the Vizag match vs Pakistan, Dhoni was also supposed to bat bat No 7. Recognizing his untapped potential, Sourav Ganguly decided to give Dhoni a chance to bat at No 3 and he will bat at number 4.

Recalling the circumstances, Ganguly noted that when Dhoni joined the team in 2004, he initially batted at number seven in the first two matches. Despite the team's announcement after the meeting, Ganguly made a last-minute decision to move Dhoni up the order in an attempt to unleash his potential.


Ganguly, in the show Breakfast with Champions, said: "I was watching news sitting in my room and thinking how to make him (Dhoni) a player, I knew he had a lot of potential. Next morning after we won the toss I thought let me send him at 3 will see whatever happens." Ganguly added.

"He was sitting in shorts as he knew he had to bat at 7, I told him 'Dhoni you have to bat at 3?, he said 'what about you', I said 'I'll bat 4 you go in at 3," he said.

The strategic move paid off as Dhoni's explosive innings of 148 runs, including 15 boundaries and 4 sixes, played a pivotal role in India's 58-run victory against Pakistan. The knock earned Dhoni Man of the Match award and it also marked a significant moment in his career.

India had scored 356/9 in 50 overs while Pakistan was bundled out for 298 in 44.1 overs.