Sourav Ganguly Interview:I am always under the scanner

Looking back at the period since I made my comeback, I have scored over 3,000 runs in both formats of international cricket, more than any other Indian batsman. Yet, I am under the scanner, and I just don't know why, asks the Bengal southpaw.

He is not known to mince words when it comes to lashing out at critics. So, when confronted with the question of his pedestrian showing with the bat in the ongoing IPL carnival, Sourav Ganguly went on the counter-offensive at the pre-match press meet, lamenting that he's always been the subject of criticism despite his good performances in recent months. Excerpts from the high-intensity media interaction:

You haven't had a good time with the bat in the IPL so far, and are now under the scanner...

I am always under the scanner, I don't know why. Despite doing well, I have always been under the scanner, all the time. Looking back at the period since I made my comeback, I have scored over 3,000 runs in both formats of international cricket, more than any other Indian batsman. Yet, I am under the scanner, and I just don't know why.

Do you think the franchises, whose teams are not doing well in the IPL, will put pressure on their players to get them results?

Pressure will always be there on the players, it has always been there, and it has always been like that. Whether you play for India, or Australia, or Knight Riders, pressure will always be there on you.

It's just a question of how you handle it. Whether you have done good or done badly, players are always under pressure.

After four defeats, Knight Riders are way behind in the standings. How do you look at it?

It's not that bad, the situation. If you notice, except for Mohali and Rajasthan, none of the other teams are too far away from us or from one another as far as points are concerned. Only these two teams are well ahead now, but the other teams are close.

The local Bengal players in your team have stood out with good performances in the IPL. Isn't it a heartening development for the local domestic players?

See, we shouldn't jump too much up and down over the successes of the local players in the IPL. Players like laxmi Ratan Shukla and Wriddhiman Saha are doing really well here, but remember, this is Twenty20 format. We shouldn't get carried away over their performances in just the IPL. For the local youngsters, the real test in their careers still lies in four-dayers and 50-over matches.

How important is the toss going to be in tomorrow's match against Bangalore Royal Challengers?

Toss is not going to be a big factor. In a 20-overs-a-side match, the toss hardly matters, and it won't matter in this match as well.