Sourav Ganguly Turns 52: From Cricket Legend to BCCI President, a Look Back at His Glorious Journey!

Sourav Ganguly is credited for introducing an aggressive brand of cricket to the Indian team. The former captain took over the helm at a tumultuous time following a match-fixing saga. Back then, Team India was struggling to achieve success in overseas series but the situation changed under the leadership of Ganguly.

The left-handed batter made his international debut in 1992, featuring in an ODI against the West Indies.

Four years later, Ganguly played his first Test in England and notched back-to-back centuries to announce his arrival in red-ball cricket. He led the Men in Blue to the final of the 2003 ODI World Cup where they lost to a Ricky Ponting-led Australia.

Sourav Ganguly celebrates his 52nd birthday today, on July 8. On this special occasion, let’s revisit the illustrious career of the legendary captain:

Sourav Ganguly helped Team India win several important tournaments during his tenure as the captain. The best of them was in 2002 when India triumphed over England in London to win the NatWest series. After the visitors registered a two-wicket victory in the final, Ganguly emphatically waved his jersey from the iconic balcony of Lord’s. The moment still remains fresh in the heart of every Indian fan.

Sourav Ganguly’s career saw enough turbulence in 2005 after Greg Chappell was appointed as India’s head coach, succeeding John Wright. Chappel wrote a mail to the BCCI, criticising the leadership skills of Ganguly and his messages got leaked to the media. He was dropped from the national team and Rahul Dravid replaced him as the new captain.

The Prince of Calcutta refused to give up. He made a roaring comeback during a tour of South Africa in 2006 and folded as the top scorer of the overseas series. Next year, Ganguly notched his career-best score in Tests, smashing 239 against Pakistan in Bangalore. The southpaw bid adieu to international cricket in 2008 and took retirement from all forms of the game in 2012.

Despite hanging his boots, Sourav Ganguly remained associated with cricket and kicked off the second innings of his career as a commentator. He was elected the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal in 2015 after the former chief Jagmohan Dalmiya passed away.

Ahead of the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Delhi Capitals roped in Sourav Ganguly as a mentor of the squad. He had to step down from the role next season after becoming the President of the BCCI.

Ganguly was the second captain to lead the board after Sunil Gavaskar. His stint as the BCCI chief came to an end in October 2022 when Roger Binny took over the charge. Ganguly currently serves as the Head of Cricket (Director) of Delhi Capitals.

Top 5 Innings Of Sourav Ganguly in International Cricket

1. 239 vs Pakistan, Benglauru (2007)Sourav Ganguly arrived at the crease after India lost three early wickets in the first innings. He struck 30 boundaries and two sixes to register 239 runs off 361 balls. Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan also slammed hundreds as India posted 626 runs. At the end of Day 5, Pakistan had scored 162 while chasing a 327-run target and the match ended in a draw.
2. 183 vs Sri Lanka, Taunton (1999)Sourav Ganguly recorded his best ODI score in a World Cup match against Sri Lanka in 1999. He smashed 183 runs off 158 balls and his knock was laced with 17 fours and seven maximums. Thanks to his contributions, India produced 373 in 50 overs and ultimately won the match by 157 runs.
3. 144 vs Australia, Brisbane (2003)After Australia registered 323 in the first innings, India lost four wickets at a score of 127. That’s when Sourav Ganguly joined hands with VVS Laxman and revived the innings with a 146-run stand. Ganguly contributed 144 runs to the scoresheet, hitting 18 boundaries in 196 deliveries. Australia set a target of 199 runs but India fell short of time. When the match concluded in Brisbane, the visitors were at 73/2.
4. 131 vs South Africa, Nairobi (2000)Sourav Ganguly played a match-defining knock of 131 runs in the semi-final of the 2000 Champions Trophy. The left-handed opener clobbered 11 fours and six maximums to score 141 runs as India produced 295 in the first innings. In response, South Africa were bundled out for 200 runs in the 41st over.
5. 131 vs England, London (1996)Sourav Ganguly made his Test debut with Rahul Dravid at the iconic Lord’s. Ganguly was India’s leading scorer in the first innings with 131 runs. Dravid also enjoyed a good outing but missed the century by just five runs. England faced a batting collapse in the third innings but managed to draw the match.