One of Sourav Ganguly’s most iconic moments came in 2002 when he famously waved his shirt from the Lord’s balcony after India clinched a dramatic victory against England in the Natwest Trophy final.
Sourav Ganguly, often hailed as the ‘God of off-side’ by former teammate and India head coach Rahul Dravid, has made numerous remarkable contributions to cricket and continues to influence the game as the Director of Cricket for the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals. As the celebrated left-hander turns 52 today, let’s revisit his illustrious career spanning nearly two decades. Known for his polarizing style, Ganguly’s career was filled with some of the most intriguing moments in Indian cricket.
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Undoubtedly, Ganguly stands out as India’s most successful Test captain, forging a formidable team from a pool of talented players. He is also regarded as one of the greatest one-day batsmen. His career, however, faced an early setback until his stellar century on debut at Lord’s in 1996. Later that year, he was promoted to the top of the ODI order, forming a legendary opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar.
Throughout his career, Sourav Ganguly was recognized for his unique leadership style. He debuted in Test cricket against England in 1996, quickly earning the nickname ‘Dada’. He made headlines with a century in his first Test at Lord’s and followed it up with another in the second Test, becoming the third player to score hundreds in each of his first two innings.
In 2000, amidst a match-fixing scandal, Ganguly was appointed captain and began nurturing new talent. Under his captaincy, India reached the finals of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy. In 2001, his team achieved a significant victory against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, overcoming a follow-on to stage one of the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket, led by VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.
Sourav Ganguly’s iconic moment
One of Ganguly’s most iconic moments came in 2002 when he famously waved his shirt from the Lord’s balcony after India clinched a dramatic victory against England in the Natwest Trophy final. He also led India to the World Cup final in 2003, though they lost to Australia. In 2004, he guided India to an ODI and Test series victory in Pakistan, marking India’s first Test series win on Pakistani soil.
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Ganguly’s career saw a tumultuous period in 2005-6 with a public spat with then-coach Greg Chappell, leading to his exclusion from the team. Nevertheless, he fought his way back, scoring a crucial fifty in Johannesburg.
He played his last Test against Australia in 2008 and continued in the IPL until 2012 before retiring from domestic cricket. Over his international career, Ganguly played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs, amassing 18,575 runs across all formats.
Ganguly was instrumental in promoting the concept of day-night Test cricket in India, with his efforts culminating in India’s first-ever day-night Test against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in 2019.
As a captain, Sourav Ganguly led India in 195 matches across all formats, winning 97 of them. Post-retirement, he served as the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and later as the President of the BCCI, continuing his legacy in cricket administration.
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