Cricket stars shower greetings on Sourav Ganguly as BCCI president celebrates 49th birthday

Sourav Ganguly is one of the finest Indian cricketers ever.

By Gaurav Tripathi

3 Min Read

Natwest series final 2002
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Sourav Ganguly of India with the NatWest series Trophy. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Former Indian captain and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly celebrates his 49th birthday on Thursday (July 8) and wishes are pouring in for him from all across the globe. Ganguly is regarded as one of the finest captains in the game’s history and his contribution to Indian cricket can’t be measured in numbers. Be it toiling bowlers with a willow in hand or making précised on-field decisions, the southpaw performed every role with sheer brilliance.

Making his international debut in 1992, Ganguly couldn’t really burst onto the scenes straightway as his first few years in Team India colours weren’t great. However, things changed in 1996 when the southpaw received his maiden Test cap. A century on debut at Lord’s was followed by another ton in Nottingham as the dashing batsman made the world take notice of him.

The left-handed batter didn’t look back after that and played one staggering knock after another in Tests and ODIs. Another aspect of Ganguly’s game emerged when he took over the captaincy when Indian cricket was reeling with the claims of match-fixing. The talismanic cricketer embraced the challenge and changed the face of the national team.

Sourav Ganguly – The man who brought a revolution in Indian cricket

Instilling confidence and fierceness in the side, Ganguly lead the team from the front and took them to numerous triumphs. Under his leadership, the Men in Blue even reached the final of the 2003 World Cup where they lost to eventual champions Australia. The southpaw was known to bring the best out of individuals as many players like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni started their careers under Ganguly and went on to become legends.

An infamous episode with former Team India head coach somewhat dented Ganguly’s career as the southpaw was unceremoniously dropped from the team in 2005. However, just like other champions, the star batsman made a comeback and piled a mountain of runs at the fag end of his career. Ganguly eventually brought curtains to his international career but not before mustering 7212 and 11363 runs in 113 Tests and 311 ODIs respectively.

Ganguly’s contribution to Indian cricket didn’t really end with his retirement. In 2019, he was appointed the BCCI president and so far, he has done a commendable job. With the Bengal talisman being such a significant figure in the gentleman’s game, social media got flooded with greetings on his special day.  Several cricket stars also wished him by recalling his brilliance over the 22 yards. Have a look!

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