India, May 17 -- Sourav Ganguly has revealed how MS Dhoni was identified and pushed quickly through the system long before he became one of Indian cricket's greatest captains, explaining the selection philosophy that backed raw match-winning talent over slow grooming.

Dhoni's international career did not begin with certainty. He made his ODI debut under Ganguly against Bangladesh in Chattogram in December 2004, lasting just one ball before being run out for a duck. For many players, that could have triggered doubt. It did not in Dhoni's case.

Months later, Ganguly made one of the defining calls of his captaincy, promoting Dhoni to No. 3 against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam. Dhoni responded with 148 off 123 balls, an innings that changed th...