Sourav Ganguly Recalls Rift with VVS Laxman After 2003 World Cup Omission: “He Didn’t….”

Ganguly opens up about the emotional fallout with VVS Laxman over his controversial omission from the 2003 ODI World Cup squad, calling it one of the most difficult decisions of his captaincy tenure.

New Delhi, June 22: Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has shed new light on a long-rumoured rift from the early 2000s, confirming that VVS Laxman didn’t speak to him for three months after being dropped from India’s squad for the 2003 ICC ODI World Cup. The decision—still debated among fans and pundits—meant Laxman never got to play in a single World Cup match in his career, despite having featured in 86 ODIs and scoring over 2,300 runs.

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Ganguly, speaking to PTI, admitted that Laxman was “completely heartbroken” after his exclusion, and the emotional toll strained their friendship. “Anybody would get upset… for a World Cup. Especially a player of Laxman’s calibre. Quite natural that he would be disappointed,” said Ganguly.

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Selectors Wanted Laxman, Ganguly Said No

The omission was not without controversy. Former chief selector Kiran More, in an earlier interview, revealed that all five selectors were in favour of including Laxman, but Ganguly and then head coach John Wright overruled them. Ganguly reportedly insisted on including an all-rounder, leading to the selection of Dinesh Mongia instead.

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“Before the selection meeting, we had a huge argument,” More had told ex-Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif in a YouTube chat. “Ganguly was very smart. He had a great cricketing brain. He said, ‘We need an all-rounder.’”

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‘It Was Never Personal’: Ganguly

Despite the friction, Ganguly emphasized that the decision was professional, not personal. “When we returned after the World Cup, he [Laxman] came back into the ODI side and was phenomenal in the series against Pakistan and Australia,” he recalled. “They knew it was never personal.”

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Laxman indeed delivered a spectacular comeback. He was a key figure in India’s historic 2004 tour of Pakistan, contributing significantly to India’s first-ever series win on Pakistani soil.

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Legacy and Reflection

While India went on to reach the final of the 2003 World Cup—losing to Australia—Laxman’s exclusion remains one of the most debated selection calls in Indian cricket history. Ganguly’s latest comments add depth to the understanding of the emotional costs and leadership dilemmas behind such high-stakes decisions.

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Tags:
Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, 2003 World Cup, Dinesh Mongia, John Wright, Indian cricket, Team India selection controversy, Kiran More, India vs Australia 2003, VVS Laxman comeback