Former India captain Sourav Ganguly turns 51 | Cricket News – Times of India

Sourav Ganguly, one of the most iconic cricketers that India has produced, celebrates his 51st birthday today.
Famously called as the ‘God of off-side’ by former teammate and current India coach Rahul Dravid, Ganguly, who is one of the most successful India captains, retired in 2008 and is currently the Director of Cricket for the Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals.
Ganguly also tweeted a video with pictures of his playing days, hours before the arrival of his 51st birthday.

Ganguly’s leadership style on the field was truly distinct. His Test debut against England in the summer of 1996 marked the beginning of a remarkable journey, earning him the affectionate nickname ‘Dada’. He instantly made headlines by scoring a century in his inaugural Test at the iconic Lord’s cricket ground.
In his second Test, left-handed batsman Ganguly displayed his exceptional skills once again, achieving the rare feat of scoring a century in his first two Test innings, becoming only the third batsman in history to accomplish the remarkable record.
Dubbed as the ‘Prince of Kolkata’, Ganguly made his mark in the ODI format with a stunning display in 1997 against Pakistan, where he secured four consecutive ‘Man of the Match’ awards. His memorable performance continued in the 1999 World Cup, where Ganguly scored a magnificent 183 runs against Sri Lanka in a monumental 318-run partnership with Dravid.

Amidst the turmoil of the match-fixing scandal that shook Indian cricket in 2000, Ganguly was appointed as the captain of the national team. Under his leadership, Ganguly nurtured new talents and guided India to the final of the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000. Another significant milestone came in 2001 when Ganguly’s team emerged victorious against Australia, winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1.
One of Ganguly’s iconic moments came in the Natwest Trophy final in 2002, where he led India to a thrilling victory. In a display of sheer jubilation, Ganguly famously removed his shirt on the Lord’s balcony, etching an unforgettable memory in cricket history.

Ganguly’s captaincy also propelled India to the World Cup finals in 2003, although they narrowly missed out on the title, losing against Australia. In 2004, he orchestrated a series win against Pakistan in both ODIs and Tests, which was India’s first Test series triumph on Pakistani soil.
In 2005-2006, Ganguly found himself in an altercation with then coach Greg Chappell, which led to his exclusion from the national team. However, displaying resilience and determination, Ganguly fought his way back and eventually retired from international cricket in 2008.

He continued to play in the Indian Premier League (59 matches) until 2012.
Having represented India in 113 Tests and 311 ODIs, Ganguly amassed an impressive total of 18,575 runs across all formats, including 38 centuries.
Post-retirement, Ganguly took on significant administrative roles in cricket. He served as the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal and held the prestigious position of the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
(With agency inputs)