Calcutta: Sourav Ganguly didn't get the chance to meet one-time India teammate Rahul Dravid either before or during Sunday's Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi DareDevils IPL match.
That opportunity surfaced on Monday afternoon when Dravid, the DareDevils' mentor, was waiting in the Taj Bengal lobby for an update on the delayed Air India flight back to New Delhi.
Sourav, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), had just then finished a private meeting and was heading towards the exit.
On seeing Dravid, and DareDevils' coach Paddy Upton, Sourav went over to both and exchanged 'hellos'.
Dravid admiringly looked at Sourav's informally formal grey trouser-white shirt combination and observed "a safari suit would be next."
Laughing, Sourav replied: "That would take another 20 years." He then complimented Dravid on his sporty look.
While Sourav had a couple of files with him, Dravid was in the DareDevils' T-shirt with the ubiquitous carry-all bag on one shoulder.
Sourav used the occasion for a feedback on the Eden wicket. Dravid gave the thumbs up.
Later, The Telegraph asked Dravid (who has served on the Karnataka State Cricket Association's managing committee) if the transition from a cricketer to administrator was exceedingly tough.
Dravid responded: "It's challenging, there always are challenges... However, there's nothing that Sourav can't face... It's good that he's an administrator."
Sourav became the CAB president last October, soon after long-time supremo Jagmohan Dalmiya's demise.
It has turned out to be an eventful six months for Sourav, as the CAB staged a number of World T20 games, including India vs Pakistan and the thrilling final.
Sourav (a hands-on president) and his core group in the CAB received kudos for smooth conduct, except for the 10-odd minutes when one of the floodlight towers went blank during the New Zealand vs Bangladesh match.
The challenges for Sourav haven't ended with the World T20, though.
Both Sourav and Dravid, incidentally, made their debuts in the same Test - Lord's, in 1996. In 2005, Greg Chappell's first year as India coach, Dravid succeeded Sourav as the captain.
Where retirements go, Dravid quit in early 2012, around three-and-a-half years after Sourav called it a day at the international level.
Dravid's name has been talked about as the next full-time India coach, but he declined to say anything.
It's not unusual for Dravid to keep things absolutely close to his chest.
Footnote: The DareDevils dare not complain about Air India's delayed flights, as the national carrier is a commercial partner. The DareDevils' flight from their home base to Calcutta had also been delayed.
