No Comeback for Sourav Ganguly in IPL 4 as Kochi Request Shot Down

Manish Pandey was not the only Indian cricketer to be left high and dry at the end of the IPL governing council. Sourav Ganguly can officially kiss IPL 4 goodbye, at least as a cricketer.

shah rukh khan sourav ganguly deepika padukone

Sourav Ganguly became the centre of debates following his remaining unsold at the IPL 4 auctions. Even the second day of the auctions failed to yield bids from all ten IPL franchisees present at the auctions, virtually signaling the end of interests in the former Indian captain.

Ganguly’s name figured in the auctions after he was dropped by the Kolkata Knight Riders after IPL 3. With no retention in prospect, Ganguly wanted to continue playing, even if it meant playing outside his home franchisee out of sheer compulsion. However, the senior Indian cricketers faced a tough time convinced more than a franchisee or two of the merit of having them in the team.

However, Kochi threw Ganguly a lifeline in that they expressed their intention to include Ganguly in their team outside of the auction well after the auction was over. The request was put to the BCCI. However, the manner in which the matter was promptly followed up with the BCCI, Ganguly would have hoped Kochi had done the same while the IPL 4 auctions were on. Not only would it have saved him some embarrassment but also, it would have meant he would have still playing playing in the IPL in the IPL 4 season.

But Ganguly and indeed Kochi’s hopes have been dashed as some of the other IPL franchisees objected, and they were well within their rights, to the fact that these interested franchisees could have bought the players at the auction itself and that this was then a violation of the rules laid down. And the numbers certainly suggested that those in Kochi’s favour were clearly not enough to suggest an exception should be made to the rule, which means that Ganguly will not even be playing in the Kochi colours. That ship has now sailed.