Sourav Ganguly, aka Dada, is one of the most influential people in Indian cricket right now and was one of the former captains of the Indian Cricket Team. Dada has been involved in some classic games, and his celebrations after victory have been excellent also. We will look into some moments that define Dada and his career till now.
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1) Debut at Lords
Sourav Ganguly was one of the bright and shining youngsters of the team when he entered the Indian test squad in the year 1996. India needed a left-handed top-order batsman, and Ganguly certainly fitted into the category perfectly. He came in at three and played a crucial knock of 131 runs before getting out. Till 2021, it was the highest score by a debutant at Lord’s. This impressive knock helped India get a lead over the hosts, and Ganguly cemented his place in the Indian team.
2) World Cup Partnership with Dravid
India played the 1999 World Cup in England with a whole bunch of youngsters in the squad. This was the very first time that Sourav opened the batting for India. During a match against Sri Lanka in Taunton, he opened the batting and scored a mammoth 183 runs off 158 balls. This was the second-highest score in World Cup history then and the highest by an Indian at a World Cup. His 318 run partnership with Rahul Dravid is still the highest in World Cups and the second highest in ODI cricket.
3) Captaincy and Joint Champions Trophy Winners
After the infamous incidents of match-fixing around the cricket world, which affected India, Ganguly was appointed captain of the Indian cricket team and was considered a great future leader for India. This proved to be a fantastic decision as Ganguly is still considered the man who revolutionized Indian Cricket. India won its second ICC tournament under Ganguly as India was adjourned joint winners of the ICC Champions Trophy 2002.
4) Natwest Test Series and the shirtless celebration
India played a historic series against England, which was considered a colossal milestone then. The series was tied at two before the final game, and India set a daunting target of 328 runs. India had a poor start as they lost five wickets for under 150 runs. Kaif and Yuvraj Singh started the revival and made sure India won the game by two wickets. Kaif scored the winning runs, and the iconic dada celebration won the hearts and minds of Indian fans worldwide.
5) Test series draw in Australia
Whenever any test team visited Australia in the 1990s and 2000s, it was pre-conceived that the team wouldn’t win any game, and the series was unthinkable. Indian squad full of stars and young players showed their class in the four-match test series. India won one game the same as Australia, and the circumstances under which they won the game were also pretty unique. A series draw in Australia is still considered a big thing for any country, but that year, India proved that they shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Ganguly is now the current BCCI president and is currently revolutionizing the system and hoping India and skipper Virat Kohli win trophies under their leadership. Here is wishing Dada more such extraordinary moments in his presidential tenure and a happy birthday as well.
Image Credit : DNA India
