Team prank on captain Sourav Ganguly nearly led him to quit the role
Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh staged a fake newspaper stunt that upset captain Sourav Ganguly, who said he would relinquish the captaincy.
Just before an India-Pakistan one-day series, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh introduced counterfeit newspaper excerpts into the team dressing room, falsely attributing harsh comments to captain Sourav Ganguly about his peers. They enlisted senior teammates Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who pretended the statements were genuine, intensifying Ganguly’s disbelief. Confronted with the fake clippings, Ganguly declared he would give up the captaincy if the allegations proved true.
The situation escalated when a few players pretended to pack their bags and leave, prompting Ganguly to chase after them. The charade collapsed when one player laughed, revealing the joke. Harbhajan later reflected that the captain’s good-natured response showed his brotherly leadership style.
Why it matters
The incident highlights team dynamics and leadership challenges within India's cricket squad.
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