Virender Sehwag on Sourav Ganguly's India: 'We played to win on foreign soil'
Synopsis
Virender Sehwag has put Sourav Ganguly's captaincy into one crisp sentence: the team's philosophy was to play as many games as possible and win on foreign soil. Spoken during promotions for his reality show 'Rise & Fall' Season 2, the remark is a rare first-person account of the mindset shift that turned India into genuine overseas contenders in the early 2000s.
Key Takeaways
Virender Sehwag described the Ganguly-era India philosophy as focused on winning matches on international soil .
Sehwag declined to comment on the current Indian team, saying he has no direct knowledge of their playing style.
He also noted that he played both aggressively and defensively depending on match situations, contrary to popular perception.
Sourav Ganguly's captaincy ran roughly from 2000 to 2005 and is widely credited with building India's fearless overseas identity.
Sehwag is currently hosting 'Rise & Fall' Season 2 on Amazon MX Player , produced by Banijay Asia , featuring 15 contestants over 42 days .
Former India opener Virender Sehwag has offered a rare first-hand account of the winning philosophy that defined Sourav Ganguly's era as India captain, describing a team that was singularly focused on securing victories in overseas conditions. Sehwag shared these reflections during promotional activities for the second season of his streaming reality show 'Rise & Fall', held at a five-star property in Mumbai.
The Ganguly-Era Philosophy, in Sehwag's Words
Sehwag was careful to speak only from his own experience when discussing team philosophy. 'See, I was part of the team under Dada's leadership. So, I can speak about the philosophy of that team. I am not a part of the current Indian line-up so, I won't be able to talk about it, as I don't know about them, and their playing style,' he said.
On what drove that generation, he was unequivocal: 'Our philosophy was to play as many games as possible, and win the matches on the international soil. We worked on that and under Sourav Ganguly's leadership, we did it, and delivered the same.' The remark offers a window into a shift that Indian cricket historians have long documented — Ganguly's captaincy, which ran from 2000 to 2005, is widely credited with transforming India from a side that struggled abroad into one that competed on equal terms in any condition.
Sehwag on His Own Approach to Batting
Beyond team philosophy, Sehwag also pushed back against the popular narrative that he was a one-dimensional attacking batsman. 'It's not that I always played aggressively in sports, I also played defensively there. I have also played with negative surroundings,' he said, indicating that his game was more adaptable than the highlights reel suggests.
Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar formed what many analysts consider the most explosive opening partnership in Test cricket during their era, regularly giving India blazing starts that set the tone for victories across formats.
The 'Rise & Fall' Season 2 Context
Sehwag made the remarks during media interactions ahead of the second season of 'Rise & Fall', the Amazon MX Player reality series in which he has taken over hosting duties from Ashneer Grover. The show features 15 contestants competing over 42 days in a game built around power, strategy, alliances, and shifting fortunes. Contestants are divided between Rulers, who control gameplay from the Tower, and Workers, who live in the Basement and battle for advancement.
Season 2 adds an audience-participation layer, giving viewers the power to influence who ascends to Ruler or descends to Worker status. The show is produced by Banijay Asia and is available to stream on Amazon MX Player.
Why Ganguly's Legacy Endures
Sehwag's comments arrive at a time when discussions about India's greatest captains remain perennial in cricket circles. Ganguly's contribution — building a fearless overseas mindset, backing young talent, and fostering an aggressive brand of cricket — is frequently benchmarked against the subsequent successes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Notably, the crop of players Ganguly nurtured, including Sehwag himself, went on to form the core of India's golden generation well into the 2010s.
Point of View
When overseas tours were largely considered damage-limitation exercises. What mainstream coverage of these promotional interviews tends to miss is how this philosophy became the cultural foundation for everything that followed — Dhoni's finisher mentality, Kohli's overseas aggression. Ganguly didn't just pick winners; he changed what Indian players believed was possible away from home, and Sehwag remains one of the sharpest witnesses to that shift.
NationPress
5 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Virender Sehwag say about Sourav Ganguly's captaincy philosophy?
Sehwag said the team under Ganguly's leadership was driven by one goal: to play as many games as possible and win on international soil. He credited Ganguly with delivering on that vision during his tenure as India captain.
Why did Sehwag decline to comment on the current Indian team's philosophy?
Sehwag said he was not part of the current squad and had no direct knowledge of their playing style or approach. He restricted his comments to the Ganguly era, in which he was a direct participant.
What is 'Rise & Fall' Season 2 and where can it be watched?
'Rise & Fall' Season 2 is a streaming reality show hosted by Virender Sehwag, available on Amazon MX Player. Produced by Banijay Asia, it features 15 contestants competing over 42 days in a game of power, strategy and shifting alliances, with audience members now able to influence contestant rankings.
Who did Virender Sehwag replace as host of 'Rise & Fall'?
Sehwag took over hosting duties for Season 2 from Ashneer Grover, who hosted the first season of the show.
How significant was Sourav Ganguly's impact on Indian cricket overseas?
Ganguly's captaincy, spanning approximately 2000 to 2005, is widely regarded as the turning point that made India competitive in overseas conditions. Players from that era, including Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, formed the backbone of India's dominant teams well into the following decade.
