Ganguly says no to politics; open to coaching team India
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Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has firmly ruled out any foray into politics but said he is open to the idea of coaching the Indian cricket team in the future. Speaking in a wide-ranging podcast interview with PTI, Ganguly reflected on his journey after retiring from competitive cricket and hinted that a coaching stint might still be on the cards.
“I never really thought about it because I got into different roles,” said the 52-year-old, who retired from professional cricket in 2013 and went on to serve as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He added that his tenure as BCCI chief allowed him to make meaningful contributions, particularly in promoting women’s cricket.
Asked directly whether he would consider coaching the national side, Ganguly responded with openness: “We’ll see what the future holds. I’m just 50 (53 in July), so let’s see what happens. I’m open to it. We’ll see where it goes.”
However, on the subject of politics, the former left-handed opener was unequivocal. When asked whether he would consider joining a political party ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, Ganguly smiled and said, “I am not interested.” When pressed further, even with the hypothetical offer of becoming Chief Minister, he repeated, “I am not interested.”
Ganguly also had words of praise for the current Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, who took over recently. “Gautam is doing a good job,” Ganguly remarked. “He started off a little slow, losing to Australia and New Zealand, but he picked up with the Champions Trophy. This is going to be a big series (against England).”
Commenting on Gambhir’s approach, Ganguly described him as passionate, straightforward, and transparent. “I haven’t seen him from very close in this role, but I know he is very passionate,” Ganguly said. “He’s very straightforward, he sees things clearly, and he’s very open about what he feels — about the team, players, people, everything. From the outside, you can tell he’s a very transparent person — what you see is what you get.”
Reflecting on their time together as players, Ganguly remembered Gambhir as someone who held deep respect for senior teammates. “He was a great guy with a lot of respect for me and the senior players. Even now, I can see he is extremely passionate about his job.”
Ganguly concluded by urging patience as Gambhir continues to evolve in his role. “He’s just a year into the job, and this will be an important (England) tour. He struggled a bit in Australia, but just like everyone else, he’ll learn, he’ll grow, and he’ll become better.”
With PTI inputs