Full Name: Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, Born: July 8, 1972 in Kolkata, India, Batting Style : Left-handed batsman, Bowling Style : Right-arm medium, Test Debut : England vs. India at Lord’s – June 20-24, 1996, ODI Debut : West Indies vs. India at Brisbane – January 11, 1992
The Prince of Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly has been India’s most aggressive and successful captain till date. ‘Dada’ for his dear ones, Ganguly is also the country’s most controversial cricketer. Invariably, one of the greatest batsmen of all time, he was termed as the ‘God on the off-side’ by none other than his peer Rahul Dravid.
Ever since his debut in 1992, Sourav Ganguly has been in the eye of the storm on numerous occasions. His assertiveness both as a skipper and player has often earned him flak from other players and administrators.
A superb batsman, Sourav Ganguly has crafted some of the most scintillating knocks in world cricket, replete with stunning lofted sixes and admirable ground strokes. However, the only chink in his armor is the inability to play bouncers properly. Some have even cribbed about his lack of athleticism, which shows in his laxity while running between the wickets and fielding.
As a captain, Sourav Ganguly took Team India to unchartered terrains, packing long-overdue series wins in Australia and Pakistan. He has nurtured raw talents like Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, et al, taking them under his protective umbrella and fighting for them with selectors and critics. It was this resilience that won him the love of teammates.
A dispute over team selection with coach Greg Chappell led to his sacking from captaincy, and eventually from the national team. However, Ganguly has bounced back with renewed zest and passion for his favourite game. Coming after a hiatus of ten months, Ganguly has been performing commendably in the run up to ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in West Indies.
The cricketing world is waiting with bated breath, in hope that Dada will encore the act of swinging his shirt around (like he did at the Lord’s balcony during the NatWest Series in 2004)—a scene immortalized as one of the best moments of Indian cricket.
