Former India captain Sourav Ganguly who is often hailed by his former coach and team-mate Rahul Dravid as the ‘God off-side’ has made a huge contribution to cricket and continues his legacy as cricket director of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals as the left-arm batsman is today celebrating his 52nd birthday and let’s reflect on his career of almost two decades.
The polarizing Ganguly has been at the centre of some of the most fascinating legends in Indian cricket. Despite the controversies, he remains India’s most successful Test captain, turning a group of talented individuals into a formidable team and one of the best ODI batsmen.
"The Man Who Brought Great Revolution In Indian Cricket."
— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) July 8, 2024
Wish You A Very Happy Birthday, Sourav Ganguly.!!🐐🔥🫡 pic.twitter.com/uMoKOem4mS
Maharaja. Dada. The Prince of Kolkata.
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) July 8, 2024
Happy Birthday, Sourav Ganguly! 🎂🙌 pic.twitter.com/cEuBQDq0DG
From Taunton to Lords, Sourav Ganguly conquered it all. He personified the early signs of Indian aggression. 🙌🫡
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) July 8, 2024
Today we wish the Warrior Prince, Dada of India Cricket, a very happy birthday! 🤩🎂#PlayBold #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/kBVhVOUoCk
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SOURAV GANGULY!
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 8, 2024
– One of India's most successful skippers and openers.
– Only to win 4 consecutive POTM awards in ODIs.
– The former president of the BCCI.
– The dada of Indian cricket.
– The prince of Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/yFqI9x1AZe
No #DADA Sourav Ganguly Fans Will Pass Without Like ❤️ This Post
— cricc (@tweetsxxxxxxxx) July 8, 2024
"Happy Birthdays dada" 🛐#HappyBirthdayDADA #SouravGangulyBirthday #SouravGanguly𓃵 #Thegoat #SouravGanguly #TheGreatestOfAllTime pic.twitter.com/Lp2K4fGRDl
Happy Birthday to Sourav Ganguly who made Team India to believe that they can be the world beater
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) July 7, 2024
He has inserted the never dying & fighting attitude in Indian setup.He didn't win the WC in his Captaincy but his investment has given us 2011 World Cup winpic.twitter.com/VVxWcfVrvt
Ganguly’s cricketing journey largely stalled until he scored a brilliant century on debut at Lord’s in 1996. Later that year, he was promoted to the top of the ODI order, and with Sachin Tendulkar India provided a powerful opening partnership at that time. In 1999, he reached the final of the ICC Knockout Trophy. In 2001, he captained India to a historic 2-1 victory over Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, which VVS followed up with a 2-1 victory.
One of Ganguly’s iconic moments came in 2002 when India snatched victory from England in the NatWest Trophy final and he famously waved his shirt at the Lord’s entrance. He also led India to the 2003 World Cup final, where they failed slightly against Australia. In 2004, Ganguly captained India to a stunning one-day Test series victory in Pakistan, India’s first Test series victory on Pakistani soil. He played his last Test against Australia in 2008 and continued in the IPL until he retired from domestic cricket in 2012.
Ganguly is also credited with pioneering the concept of day-night Test cricket in India, culminating in the 1st day-night Test against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in 2019. Having led India in 195 matches across all formats, played winning 97 of those matches, Ganguly’s leadership extended beyond the field. He became president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and later chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
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