Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday expressed surprise over India's recent white-ball slump but backed the world champions to bounce back, even as he refused to comment on the shocking omission of World Cup-winning star Sanju Samson from the playing XI.
India suffered a crushing 125-run defeat against England at Trent Bridge -- their biggest ever in terms of runs after being bowled out for 76 while chasing 202. The loss leaves India trailing 0-2 in the five-match series.
Shreyas Iyer, who was appointed captain ahead of the UK tour, replacing T20 World Cup-winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav, is still searching for his first victory as T20I captain after India suffered a humiliating 0-2 series defeat to Ireland, which got the tour off to an ominous start.
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"I am a bit surprised by India's performances. They have been such a strong white-ball side, and this appears to be a temporary dip in form," Ganguly told reporters on the sidelines of his 54th birthday celebrations.
He, however, backed the team to recover.
"They have not looked at their best, but India have plenty of quality players and I am sure they will bounce back. Their only option now is to level the series. Every good team goes through difficult phases and finds a way to recover."
The biggest selection shock came when the Gautam Gambhir-led Indian think tank omitted Samson from the second T20I to accommodate teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the top of the order.
When asked about the controversial decision, Ganguly played it safe: "That is a call for the team management (to make). It would not be appropriate for me to comment on it."
He also spoke about Argentina's incredible win over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup last night.
An avid football lover, Ganguly also revealed he has been keeping a close eye on global sporting action, and was highly impressed by Argentina's incredible 3-2 comeback win over Egypt to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Down 0-2, the reigning champions scored three goals in the span of 13 minutes to snatch victory.
"I have watched Argentina's and India's matches side by side," Ganguly said.
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"Whenever Messi got the ball, I felt a goal was coming... and it did. That is what great players do when given an opportunity. In major tournaments, good teams progress in this manner; not every match is one-sided."
"I haven't followed the tournament too closely because of the late timings, but I have heard a lot about Spain, Norway, and especially France," he added.
The birthday celebrations coincided with the official poster launch of Ganguly's highly-anticipated biopic, titled 'Dada' which is set for a May 14, 2027 release.
Starring Rajkummar Rao, the poster features the iconic image of a shirtless Ganguly celebrating on the Lord's balcony after India's historic 2002 NatWest Series final victory.
"The poster has just been launched. I hope everyone watches the film when it releases next year," Ganguly said.
Earlier, Ganguly celebrated his 54th birthday with a midnight cake-cutting ceremony at his home.
While the celebrations were low-key, he connected via video call with his daughter, Sana, who is currently in Barcelona.
"So many people have reached out, through phone calls, messages, and tweets. I would like to thank everyone for the love and respect they have shown me," Ganguly said.
"Sana is in Barcelona and we are speaking over video call. When she is around, there is usually a bigger celebration; otherwise, it is a low-key affair at home."
