This is why Irfan Pathan preferred Rahul Dravid as Team India skipper over Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni

Team India allrounder Irfan Pathan announced his retirement from all three formats of the game on Saturday (December 4).

No one can forget about his hat-trick in the first over of the Karachi Test of 2006 for Team India and is the only cricketer to achieve this feat till now.

He was also a key part of the 'Men In Blue' squad which lifted the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007.

It was under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy Irfan made his debut for India but became a key part of both Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni's teams for some time.

However, during an interview with The Hindu, Irfan picked his favourite captain between Dravid and Ganguly.

“I have enjoyed playing under all the captains. Sourav Ganguly was outstanding, he was very special. Everyone appreciated his captaincy and no fan will disagree that he managed the team well even in the toughest of times. He gave Indian cricket a direction and now we are benefiting from that," he said.

"But I guess Rahul Dravid was the one who utilised me the best. Not only my bowling, but my batting performances also improved under him."

"My batting average improved immensely and my average as a No. 3 batsman was 32. After Dravid, I never got a chance to bat up the order,” he added.

The former Team India allrounder also lauded Anil Kumble for the way he handled the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal back in 2008.

“And I must admit Anil Kumble, too, was a fantastic captain. He handled the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal in 2008 very well," Jr Pathan claimed.

"I don’t think many would have been able to handle it as well. We knew that pressure was mounting, but he took everyone along and ensured that we won the Test in Perth. It’s commendable,” he added.