Why Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly did not play 2007 T20 World Cup

India made history when they won the inaugural edition of the T20 world cup under a young leader. That victory injected belief into the Indian fans after the 2007 world cup debacle. The senior players like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar weren’t part of the T20 squad as they made themselves unavailable to present opportunities to youngsters which the young cubs grabbed it with both the hands.

Dravid asked Sachin and Sourav not to take part in T20 world cup

The whole of India were in disbelief as the runners up of the previous edition of the 50 over world cup were knocked out in the league stages in 2007. Then happened the T20 world cup saga which India won under MS Dhoni. The interesting thing was Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly made themselves unavailable for the T20 world cup.

Here’s what the then team manager Lalchand Rajput had to say about them

Yes, it is true (Rahul Dravid asked Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to not play the 2007 T20 World Cup). Rahul Dravid was the captain in England and some players came directly from England to Johannesburg (for the T20 World Cup) so they said ‘let’s give an opportunity to the youngsters’. But after winning the World Cup they must have repented it when we won the World Cup

Sachin’s regret during 2007

The master blaster had already played 5 world cups by 2007 and he had around 18 years of cricketing career behind him but the pinnacle of ODI cricket in world cup kept eluding from the master blaster. Here’s what Lalchand Rajput had to say what the little master shared with him in 2007

Because Sachin always kept on telling me that I am playing for so many years and I have still not won the World Cup. Ultimately, he won in 2011, but he was dying to win that World Cup, and this team won on the first attempt