Occasionally, a cricketer appears who alters the way the sport is perceived. About Indian cricket, Sourav Ganguly is a name that changed the way the world saw India. Ganguly is unquestionably one of the rare persons who are born leaders. Learn everything there is to know about him in this Sourav Ganguly biography.
The history of Sourav Ganguly
One of the best batters to have played for India, he is often known as Dada (meaning older brother). Many consider him the best Indian cricket captain of all time. He clearly has the evidence to support his claim. First and foremost, Sourav Ganguly’s biography is fascinating since his narrative is a classic Bollywood tale. His career has witnessed everything. He has observed both the greatest and the worst. One of the things that occurred to him was that he handled everything like a genuine champion.
Early years
Sourav Ganguly was born in Kolkata on July 8, 1972. (then Calcutta). Snehashish Ganguly was followed by Chandidas and Nirupa Ganguly’s second child. As Sourav’s father had a thriving printing firm, the family was wealthy and led a lavish lifestyle.
Football was the most popular sport in West Bengal at the time, surpassing cricket. Sourav was also interested in football, but his parents did not want him to pursue a career in sports owing to his academic performance. Nonetheless, his older brother Snehashish was a reliable cricketer for Bengal and assisted him in establishing a career in the sport.
His batting potential was noticed at a cricket academy where he was enrolled. He acquired the fundamentals of the sport from his brother, with whom he grew up playing. After striking a century for Orissa Under-15, he moved through the ranks and became captain of the St. Xavier School cricket team.
In 1989, Ganguly was chosen to play for the Bengal squad. In the same year, his brother was dropped from the team. In the 1990-1991 Ranji Trophy season, the left-handed batsman rose to prominence following a stellar performance.
International debut
In 1992, Sourav Ganguly made his international debut. In a one-day international (ODI) against the West Indies in Brisbane’s Gabba, he was only able to score three runs while batting at number six. After just one game, he was cut from the team for suspected arrogance.
According to reports, he refused to carry the players’ beverages since he claimed it was not his responsibility. Nonetheless, Ganguly disputes these occurrences. It was then that he returned to domestic cricket and worked diligently. The left-handed batsman was a prolific run scorer throughout the Ranji seasons of 1993, 1994, and 1995.
After scoring 171 runs in the 1995-1996 Duleep Trophy, he was recalled to the Indian team. On the visit to England, he participated in an ODI before being pulled from the Test squad. Subsequently, Navjot Singh Siddhu abandoned the England trip because of Mohammad Azharuddin’s maltreatment.
Thus, Sourav Ganguly was given the opportunity to make his Test debut. In the second Test of the trip, which was contested at Lord’s London, he made his debut in whites for the national team. In the same Test match, Rahul Dravid made his debut. Dravid scored 95 while Ganguly scored 131.
That was the hit that placed Ganguly on the map of the globe. In the following Test, he hit 136 runs, making him the third batter in history to score a hundred in his first two innings. The world had watched Ganguly’s ascension, who at the time was considered the future of Indian cricket. Due to his impeccable timing, he was known as the “God of the off side.”
Career Stats of Sourav Ganguly
Batting Stats
| Format | Matches | Innings | Not-Outs | Runs | Highest | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| Tests | 113 | 188 | 17 | 7212 | 239 | 42.17 | 51.25 | 16 | 35 |
| ODIs | 311 | 300 | 23 | 11363 | 183 | 41.02 | 73.7 | 22 | 72 |
| First-class | 254 | 399 | 44 | 15687 | 239 | 44.18 | 33 | 89 | |
| List A | 437 | 421 | 43 | 15622 | 183 | 41.32 | 31 | 97 | |
| T20s | 77 | 73 | 4 | 1726 | 91 | 25.01 | 107 | 0 | 8 |
Bowling Stats
| Format | Matches | Innings | Wickets | BBI | BBM | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 4Ws | 5Ws |
| Tests | 113 | 99 | 32 | 28/3 | 37/3 | 52.53 | 3.23 | 97.4 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 311 | 171 | 100 | 16/5 | 16/5 | 38.49 | 5.06 | 45.6 | 1 | 2 |
| First-class | 254 | 167 | 46/6 | 36.52 | 3.29 | 66.5 | 4 | |||
| List A | 437 | 171 | 16/5 | 16/5 | 38.86 | 4.86 | 47.9 | 4 | 2 | |
| T20s | 77 | 37 | 29 | 27/3 | 27/3 | 26.06 | 7.91 | 19.7 | 0 | 0 |
Conflict in the marriage
Similar to his career, Sourav Ganguly’s marriage is likewise full of drama. As previously said, the Sourav Ganguly biography resembles a Bollywood film. In 1997, he fled with his childhood sweetheart, Dona Roy. The families of the couple did not get along, so they eloped. Both families were saddened by the events, but they eventually reconciled.
The wedding took place in February 1997. The wedding served as an additional push for him as he developed into an outstanding ODI player. He struck his first One-Day International century against Sri Lanka and subsequently earned consecutive Man of the Match honors. His 183 against Sri Lanka at Taunton in the 1999 World Cup remains his highest score in one-day international cricket.
Leadership and the turnaround
In 2000, a number of players were engaged in match-fixing, causing chaos in Indian cricket. Former captain Sachin Tendulkar resigned from his position, and Sourav Ganguly was appointed captain. India won a one-day international series against South Africa and advanced to the ICC Knockout Trophy finals, where they were beaten by New Zealand.
Then came the series that proved to be a turning point for both Ganguly and Indian cricket. During those times, Australia was a dominant team, and any team’s chances of defeating them seemed improbable. In 2001, the Australian cricket team led by Steve Waugh toured India and won the first of three Tests in Mumbai by 10 wickets.
In the first innings of the second Test at Kolkata, the hosts were dismissed for 171 in response to Australia’s 445. The visitors enforced the follow-on, but VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s combination of 376 got India back into the contest. India won the match and became only the second side to win a Test after being had to bat second. It also stopped Australia’s winning streak of 16 Tests.
The team captained by Sourav Ganguly won the third Test in Chennai and the series 2-1. It was an unexpected win over the powerful Australians, but it was the one that drew the fans back to the game after the horrific match-fixing scandal caused them to turn away.
The golden period of Sourav Ganguly’s leadership
Team India excelled under Sourav Ganguly’s guidance for a number of years. It was also a happy time for him personally, as his wife gave birth to their daughter, whom they called Sana. Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh forged a remarkable connection that helped India upset England in the final of the Natwest tri-series in England. Ganguly’s shirt-waving on the Lord’s balcony is still vivid in our minds.
In 2003, India reached the World Cup final. They had lost just one game on their way to the championship. Ganguly had a fantastic campaign, scoring 465 runs at an average of 58.12 with three centuries. Unfortunately, Australia won the World Cup due to its superior performance in the final. Several questioned Ganguly’s choice to bowl first after winning the toss.
Under his leadership, India won the memorable Test in Adelaide and tied Australia 1-1 in the Test series. In 2004, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor. Under his leadership, the team won numerous major series, and the golden age of Indian cricket began as the team began to win abroad.
The Chappell Chronicles
In September 2005, former Australian cricketer Greg Chappell was named India’s head coach. Some stories suggested that he and Sourav Ganguly were at odds. Chappell sent an email to the BCCI alleging that Ganguly was “physically and mentally” unable to lead the team and that his “divide and rule” tactics were detrimental to the Indian squad.
The Board attempted to intervene and bring the two together so they could work as a team. Sourav Ganguly was relieved of his leadership and dismissed from the team owing to a poor run of form and disagreements with the coach. Rahul Dravid was selected as the team’s leader from that moment forward.
The return and the retirement
As soon as Ganguly reached the crease, the bowlers targeted him with bouncers because of his weak technique against the short ball. Nonetheless, he did not give up and worked diligently to modify his method. Ten months after his dismissal, he returned to the squad after doing well in domestic cricket.
In the first Test against South Africa, the left-hander produced a vital 51. India won the match in Johannesburg, and Ganguly was determined to have a successful tenure. In addition to being recalled to the ODI squad, his outstanding performances earned him a spot in the 2007 ODI World Cup.
2007 saw the debut of Sourav Ganguly’s double-hundredth Test innings, which he achieved against Pakistan. Consistently doing well, he opted to leave international cricket when in a great vein of form. In 2008, during the home Test series against Australia, he withdrew from international cricket after scoring 324 runs in 4 Tests at an average of 54.
IPL and post-retirement life
In 2008, Ganguly was one of the most recognizable players in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League. The team he captained, the Kolkata Knight Riders, performed poorly in their inaugural season. In 2009, Brendon McCullum was chosen to lead. Ganguly returned as captain in 2010, but KKR decided to release him after the franchise failed to perform successfully once more.
In 2011, he was signed by the new team Pune Warriors India. He represented the squad for two seasons, during which time it did not perform as well. In 2012, Dada opted to retire from the IPL and did not play in the sixth season of the league.
Sourav Ganguly has been engaged in the development of the game after his retirement. He is the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal now. He was selected by the Supreme Court and is one of IPL’s governing council’s four members. Also, he is accountable for all tournament functions.
CAB President to BCCI President
Sourav Ganguly, who is now the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal, would have to resign after 9 months in order to enter the cooling-off period, as he was unopposedly elected as President of the Board of Cricket Control of India on 23rd October 2019. Since 1954, just two former captains have been chosen for this position. With Ganguly assuming a prominent position at the BCCI, Indian fans are anticipating a cricket board revolution similar to the one he led with the Indian cricket team.