BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Monday (September 28) slammed critics for dragging him into ‘conflict of interest’ row, saying his experience of 500 international games gives him the right to speak and guide any player "be it Shreyas Iyer or Virat Kohli".

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Recently, Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Shreyas Iyer had said that he learned to take responsibility from his current IPL coach Ricky Ponting and Ganguly. His comments, however, sparked the ‘conflict of interest’ debate on social media as Ganguly is presently serving BCCI as President and was with the Capitals last season as mentor.

"I had helped him (Iyer) last year. I may be the Board president, but don't forget that I've played 500 matches (424 matches) for India, so I can speak to a young player and help him, be it Shreyas Iyer or Virat Kohli. If they want help, I can," Ganguly said during a promotional event, as quoted by PTI.

Last week, Iyer had issued a clarification regarding his comments during the toss against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the second game of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote: "As a young captain, I am thankful to Ricky and Dada for being a part of my journey as a cricketer and captain last season. My comment ...... was to emphasise my gratitude towards the role they both have played in my personal growth as a captain."

According to the new BCCI constitution under Lodha reforms, the board President can’t hold two multiple positions at the same time. Hence, Ganguly is no longer associated with the Delhi Capitals.

Sourav Ganguly was appointed as the 39th BCCI President in October 2019.

(With PTI inputs)