New Delhi: Sourav Ganguly, the former India skipper who is credited for transforming India’s style of play with his famous “Dadagiri”, turned 52 on Monday. Also known by his famous moniker, “Prince of Kolkata” given by former England captain Geoffrey Boycott, Ganguly took over the captaincy duties four years after his famous Test debut at Lord’s in 1996, where he struck a brilliant hundred against England.
Starting his captaincy stint in 2000, a time when Indian cricket was struggling to tackle the match-fixing scandals, he in no time started grooming the young budding talents and put them up for the challenges that lay ahead for Indian cricket.
The likes of Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, and Mohammad Kaif, who made their debuts around the same time, got immense backing and guidance from Ganguly. Even during the later stages of his captaincy reign, he backed a young MS Dhoni and played a key role in making him a successful captain that he ultimately turned out to be. Their exploits together on the field are well remembered to date.
4️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ intl. matches
1️⃣8️⃣5️⃣7️⃣5️⃣ intl. runs 👌🏻
3️⃣8️⃣ intl. centuries 💯
Here’s wishing former #TeamIndia Captain and former BCCI President @SGanguly99 a very Happy Birthday. 👏 🎂 pic.twitter.com/uxMdtS2fFA
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 8, 2024
Happy Birthday to the one and only @SGanguly99! 🎉
Dada, your journey from a fearless player to a revered leader is truly inspiring 😍
Hit ❤️ to send the Prince of Kolkata & the God of off side all your wishes!#HappyBirthdaySouravGanguly #HappyBirthdayDada pic.twitter.com/5kOM2R4Vn8
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 7, 2024
“Dadagiri” – Ganguly’s captaincy tenure
The former left-handed batter is attributed with bringing in an aggressive approach, famously known as “Dadagiri”, to contest in the games that used to be on display whenever Ganguly and his boys strode out to the field. Transforming India’s style of play, the Men in Blue reached newer heights under Dada’s leadership.
In his captaincy debut year itself, he took India to the final of the ICC Knockout Trophy followed by a famous win over Australia in the home Test series to win the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2-1. Indian cricket then witnessed one of the iconic moments in 2002 when Dada took off his jersey at the Lord’s balcony after India came from behind to beat England in the Natwest Trophy final. The moment is fondly remembered to date as well and is capable enough to send goosebumps to any cricket fanatic.
He then led India to the final of the 2003 ODI World Cup, where India went down against Australia but Ganguly made India believe once again that they can compete at the highest level and take on the big boys of world cricket.
Today we celebrate birthday of a true legend,@SGanguly99!🎉
From his fearless leadership to unforgettable moments on field, Dada has inspired millions. Join us as we take you through his incredible journey. Happy Birthday Dada❤️#HappyBirthdaySouravGanguly #HappyBirthdayDada pic.twitter.com/g3KCNs57ja
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 8, 2024
Ganguly also faced a tough time when in 2005-06, his relations with then-coach Greg Chappell strained and he was left out of the Indian team. However, he turned the tables and made a famous comeback to the team, playing his last Test in 2008 after which he announced his retirement from international cricket. He bid adieu as the most successful captain for India at that time.
Playing 113 Tests and 311 ODIs for India, he amassed 18,575 runs in international cricket and went on to play Indian Premier League (IPL) till 2012.
Post-retirement, he switched to cricket administration, first heading the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and then becoming the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) before getting succeeded by 1983 World Cup winner Roger Binny.
As Sourav Ganguly turns 52, here’s a look at his glorious career from a player to an aggressive Team India skipper and transforming the setup by carving out the next gen cricketers. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
