How about Sourav Ganguly taking charge of a disjointed Bengal team and making it a close-knit unit? The Bengal selectors are toying with the idea after Laxmi Ratan Shukla & Co cut a sorry figure in the East Zone T20 meet at Dhanbad. Bengal lost three successive matches in the tournament, but, more importantly, the split is wide open in the camp. There appears to be a leadership crisis as Shukla is finding it tough handling the situation. On Thursday, before Bengal’s match against Assam, negative vibes affected team spirit after a few senior players were dropped. Ganguly’s appointment as skipper can fix everything as Bengal now prepare for the upcoming Ranji Trophy.

Ganguly has said he will pick and choose his Ranji matches to keep himself match-fit for the IPL. He wants to play the home matches but, at the same time, is open to the offer to play away games if the situation demands. It’s up to the selectors now to convince him that Bengal need his presence for the entire season.

“It’s not a bad idea to appoint Sourav as captain. But will he make himself available for all the matches? We have to talk to him and the coach before taking a decision,” chief selector Sambaran Banerjee told The Indian Express.

There’s a school of thought that falling back on Ganguly will be taking a step back. But sometimes, a step backward can open up a window to a brighter future. In Wriddhiman Saha, Bengal have a cricketer for the future. The stumper, who turned 25 on Saturday, is already on the national selectors’ radar and hasn’t given it to the lure of IPL. He can be a suitable candidate for the vice-captaincy. Nothing can be better for a youngster to work as Ganguly’s understudy.

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