Introduction
On Saturday, Sourav Ganguly, a well-known cricketer from India who is regarded as one of the best batters and captains in sporting history, turned 51. Since making his international cricket debut in 1992, Ganguly has been known as "Dada" and has led Team India thanks to his aggressive and brave nature and superb stroke play.As the Indian team's captain during the challenging match-fixing era of the 2000s, he instilled in them the value of winning in all situations. He also encouraged young cricketers who would later win world championships.
Sourav Ganguly gained the moniker "God of the Off Side" thanks to his off-side play, which was regarded as some of the best in the game.
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| Sourav Ganguly |
Here are some noteworthy career stats for him:
He scored 7,212 runs at an average of 42.17 in 113 Test matches. He scored a maximum of 239 and accumulated 16 centuries and 35 half-centuries in 188 innings. Ganguly made a century in his first Test match against England at Lord's in 1996, making him the seventh-highest run scorer for India in Test cricket history. He captained India in 49 games, resulting in victories of 21, defeats of 13, and ties of 15. He is one of India's most prosperous athletes, with a winning percentage of 42.85.
In 2001's Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Indian side led by Ganguly overcame the threat given by Steve Waugh's Australian team by defeating them 2-1. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid led one of the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket history during the second Test in Kolkata.
The series win over Australia is considered one of India's best victories. Ganguly guided the squad to a triumphant tour of Pakistan in 2004, leading to victories in both the ODI and Test series. India won the Pakistan Test series for the first time. He also played for India in ODIs, compiling 11,363 runs at an average of 41.02 in 311 games. With a top score of 183, Ganguly amassed 72 half-centuries and 22 centuries in ODIs. He ranks third for India and ninth overall in ODI run scoring.
He was the fourth-fastest to reach these milestones with 7,000 (174 innings), 8,000 (200 innings), and 9,000 ODI runs (228 innings). He was the third fastest to 10,000 ODI runs, achieving it in 263 innings.
Ganguly overtook Alastair Cook as the second-highest run-scorer in ODIs in a calendar year in 2000. His 1,579 runs at an average of 56.39, which included seven hundred and six half-centuries, were scored in 32 ODIs he played in 2000.
In 196 ODIs, Ganguly captained India to victory 147 times, winning 76, losing 66, and had five games finish in ties for a winning percentage of 51.70. In 2000, he led India to its first-ever ICC Knockout Trophy final appearance.
In the final, India and Sri Lanka shared the title due to rain.
One of Ganguly's most iconic actions was following India's stunning comeback victory against England in the 2002 NatWest Trophy final, and he pulled off his shirt. He waved it from the Lord's balcony.
Under Ganguly's leadership, India also advanced to the 2003 World Cup final before falling to Australia in a hard-fought game. Ganguly played 424 times for India, scoring 18,575 runs at an average of 41.46. For his efforts, he recorded 107 half-centuries and 38 centuries, with a peak score of 239. He has scored the 15th most runs in international cricket Regarding runs scored for India in international cricket, Ganguly ranks fourth. He is among the most successful batters in ICC competitions because of his seven centuries.
He contributed significant 117-run innings in the ICC Knockout 2000 championship match, which still stands as the last century made by an Indian in an ICC competition. In 21 Cricket World Cup games, Ganguly amassed 1,006 runs at an average of 55.88.
His the most outstanding score was 183, and he also recorded four centuries and three half-centuries. Ganguly also participated in 13 matches for the Champions Trophy, hitting 665 runs at an average of 73.88, including three centuries and three half-centuries. His undefeated 141* during the competition was his best effort.
In 196 games as India's captain, Ganguly led his team to 97 victories, 79 defeats, and 15 draws. His international cricket captaining victory percentage was 49.48.
Sourav Ganguly also played for a team for four years in the Indian Premier League (IPL): India's Pune Warriors and Kolkata Knight Riders. In 59 games, he amassed 1,349 runs at an average of 25.45.
Achievements
In the IPL, he recorded seven half-centuries, with a best score of 91. Beyond his accomplishments as a batsman and captain, Ganguly's most outstanding contributions to cricket were his encouragement of players like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Gautam Gambhir, and Virender Sehwag would go on to become a superstar and lead India to significant ICC tournament victories.The two successive captains of India, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, share some of Ganguly's traits, including leadership abilities, charm, a winning attitude, and the capacity to encourage teammates and foster a winning culture.
