Dada backs Kohli on series scheduling

Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday backed current skipper Virat Kohli on the issue of cramped scheduling and said that the team needs more time to prepare for tough assignments like the upcoming South Africa tour.

Kohli yesterday complained that cramped schedules are getting in the way of proper preparation for a big series such as the upcoming tour to South Africa, a criticism that the BCCI promised to address with "utmost seriousness".

Echoing Kohli's concerns, Ganguly said, "He (Kohli) was talking about scheduling of cricket which is so correct. You got to give teams time to prepare when they go to South Africa." Ganguly was speaking at the India Today Conclave East 2017 here. Ganguly also lavished praise on Kohli who has notched up 50 international century at the Eden Test against Sri Lanka.

He said Kohli can challenge Sachin Tendulkar's 49 ODI hundreds but the challenge would be to match the Little Master's 51 hundreds in Test.
Ganguly is best remembered for his aggressive captaincy, his success against Australia and that iconic moment when he was seen waiving his shirt at the Lord's balcony.

There could be mixed reactions to that episode more than 15 years later but one person who is convinced it was a fine act happens to be Ganguly's wife, Dona.