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Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has named Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni as his favourite captains, while reflecting on his own experience leading the Indian Test team and sharing his admiration for South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma during a Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' (AMA) session on Tuesday.
Asked to name his favourite captains to have played under, Tendulkar said, "As far as my favourite captains go, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni would definitely be at the top of my list!" Tendulkar, who captained India in 25 Test matches across two stints between 1996 and 2000, described the responsibility as a great honour but admitted that the role came with its own challenges. "It was a great honour to lead the team as captain. However, I didnt always have the freedom to pick my team entirely on my own. The BCCI today is a far more professional organisation than it was in the 1990s. Indian cricket also went through a particularly dark phase during that period," said the Master Blaster. Tendulkar's captaincy tenure included a difficult period for Indian cricket, and he stepped down from the role in March 2000 after a home series defeat against South Africa. He later declined an offer to return as Test captain in 2007, with Dhoni eventually taking over the leadership. The 53-year-old also praised Bavuma for his leadership of South Africa, particularly after the Proteas' triumph in the 2025 World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's. Praising Bavuma for his captaincy, Tendulkar said, "I truly admire Temba Bavumas spirit. He has led from the front and delivered some remarkable results for South African cricket. South Africa winning an ICC title is great for world cricket!" In a lighter exchange, Tendulkar was asked which among several legendary batters of his era he enjoyed bowling to the most. The list included Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Jacques Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Inzamam-ul-Haq, among others. The former India batter responded with his trademark humour, saying, "Enjoyed bowling to all of them because I got all of them out! Haha!" Tendulkar also offered a playful response when asked about his conversations with Sanju Samson in the lead-up to India's 2026 Men's T20 World Cup triumph. Samson had earlier credited the batting great with providing guidance and mental clarity during a difficult phase in his career. The wicketkeeper-batter remained in regular touch with Tendulkar in the months before the tournament and went on to play a decisive role in India's title-winning campaign, scoring 321 runs and being named Player of the Tournament. Asked what advice he had given Samson, Tendulkar replied, "Nee po mone Dinesha! Sanju will tell you what it means." The iconic Malayalam phrase literally translates to "You go away, my boy Dinesh." Over the years, the phrase turned into a cultural catchphrase and popular Malayali slang. People use it playfully or sarcastically to tell someone to "get lost," brush off a foolish argument, or dismiss someone who is acting overconfident. Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest batters in cricket history, represented India from 1989 to 2013. He remains the only player to score 100 international centuries, finishing with 51 Test hundreds and 49 in ODIs. He also holds the record for the most runs in both formats, with 15,921 in Tests and 18,426 in ODIs. (ANI)
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