Is Sourav Ganguly the man behind Mahendra Singh Dhoni's success?

Every cricket fan remembers former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's rise in the cricket world. Dhoni comes from a state like Jharkhand that does not have much exposure in cricket before Dhoni happened.

Dhoni had led Indian team in winning top three ICC tournaments namely ICC World Cup, ICC World T20 and ICC Champions Trophy. Dhoni's Journey from a normal Ranchi boy to becoming India's most successful captain is not untold. The cricketer’s biopic MS Dhoni: The untold story, told the saga of his struggle in rising in the cricket world.

Although it was his explosive batting style that made Indian fans go crazy in the stadium but his ability to remain calm in the tensest situation that forced the legends to notice him.

Now even at age of 36, he is one of the most fitted players in the cricket ground, former India explosive opener Virender Sehwag has revealed that it was Sourav Ganguly who shaped Dhoni's career.

While talking to India TV, Sehwag said that it was former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly who sacrifice his spot for Dhoni, and he became an instant hit by hitting148 and 183 within a year of his debut.

"We were experimenting with the batting order at that time. We decided that if we get a good opening partnership then Sourav Ganguly would come at No.3 but if we had a bad opening stand then we would send pinch hitters like Irfan Pathan or Dhoni to accelerate the scoring rate. Ganguly at that time decided to give Dhoni a chance at No.3 for three or four matches. There are very few captains who would first give away his own batting spot for Virender Sehwag and then his set spot of No.3 for Dhoni. Had Dada (Ganguly) not done that, Dhoni would not have become such a great player. Ganguly always believed in giving chances to new players," Sehwag told India TV.