The match-fixing scandal remains one of the darkest chapters in Indian cricket history, shaking the trust of millions of fans and tarnishing the image of the sport. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly recently opened up about the difficult period and revealed how he questioned senior teammates Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid about corruption in cricket after taking over leadership of the national team.
The scandal, which involved former South African captain Hansie Cronje along with Indian cricketers Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, left Indian cricket struggling to regain credibility at the turn of the century.
Ganguly Recalls Confusion Around Match-Fixing
Speaking on the Raj Shamani Podcast, Ganguly admitted he was initially unaware of how deep the corruption issue had become in international cricket.
The former India captain said he directly asked Tendulkar, Dravid and Anil Kumble whether they had ever been approached by bookmakers.
“I kept asking Sachin and Rahul, ‘Does it actually happen? Has anyone approached you?’ Because no one had approached me,” Ganguly recalled.
According to Ganguly, all three senior players denied ever being contacted for any fixing-related activity, which added to his confusion about the scandal at that time.
Indian Cricket Needed Rebuilding
After Azharuddin received a life ban and Jadeja was suspended for five years, Ganguly was handed the responsibility of rebuilding the Indian cricket team during one of its most challenging phases.
He said restoring trust within the dressing room and among supporters became a major task as Indian cricket tried to move past the controversy.
The former captain later guided India through a successful transition period and helped build a team that became highly competitive both at home and overseas.
Nervousness Before First Team Meeting
Ganguly also reflected on the pressure of leading senior players who had once captained him.
Recalling his early days as skipper, he said he felt nervous before addressing the team for the first time ahead of a match in Kochi.
“Many of these guys — Azhar, Sachin — had been my captains. How was I supposed to tell them what to do and what not to do?” Ganguly said.
He revealed that he intentionally kept the meeting short because he did not want to overcomplicate things in front of experienced teammates.
Winning Helped Build Confidence
According to Ganguly, India won the match after that first team meeting, and things gradually started falling into place.
He also recalled scoring a century in the following match in Jamshedpur, which further boosted his confidence as captain.