Sourav Ganguly was born on 8th July, 1972
Back in the early 2000s, the game in India was a mess. Match-fixing scandals had gutted the team’s reputation, fans were done, and the squad was floundering. Then came Ganguly, or “Dada” as we call him, with his fierce eyes, sharp tongue, and a bat that spoke louder than words. He didn’t just lead as he rebuilt, turning a broken team into one that could stare down the world’s best. As we celebrate his birthday, let’s walk through the story of a man who made us believe in Indian cricket again, from his fancy Kolkata roots to the legacy that still gives us goosebumps.
Sourav was born into a cushy life in Kolkata, back when it was still Calcutta. His dad, Chandidas Ganguly, ran a printing business that made him one of the city’s big shots. Sourav, the youngest of Chandidas and Nirupa’s kids, grew up with a silver spoon, earning the nickname “Maharaj”, Great King because, well, he kind of acted like one. His dad passed away in 2013 at 73 after a long sickness, a loss that hit Sourav hard.
Kolkata was mad about football, and young Sourav was out there kicking balls with the best of them. But cricket? That was his brother Snehasish’s thing. Snehasish played for Bengal, and he saw something in his little brother. Sourav went to St. Xavier’s Collegiate School and then got a commerce degree from St. Xavier’s College. His mom, Nirupa, was all about books, not bats, and wasn’t thrilled about sports. But Snehasish wasn’t having it. He bugged their dad to sign Sourav up for a cricket camp one summer in tenth grade, and that’s where it all started.
In his early days, Sourav was right-handed but learned to bat left-handed so he could use his brother’s gear. Sourav was obsessed with David Gower, the smooth English batsman, and would watch his tapes like a kid studying for exams. He went on to score a century against Orissa’s Under-15s and captained his school team. In 1989, Sourav got his big break, playing first-class cricket for Bengal just as Snehasish got dropped. It was like the universe was saying, “Your turn, kid”.
Sourav’s first shot at international cricket was a letdown. In 1992, he played an ODI against West Indies and scored a measly three runs. The team dropped him, and people whispered he was too full of himself. But Sourav wasn’t one to quit. He went back to domestic cricket and tore it up, smashing 171 in the 1995-96 Duleep Trophy. That got him a spot on India’s 1996 England tour, and man, did he deliver. In his Test debut at Lord’s, he cracked 131, the highest score by a debutant there.
| Format | Matches | Innings | NO | Runs | High Score | Average | Balls Faced | Strike Rate | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 113 | 188 | 17 | 7212 | 239 | 42.17 | 14070 | 51.25 | 16 | 35 | 900 | 57 | 71 |
| ODIs | 311 | 300 | 23 | 11363 | 183 | 41.02 | 15416 | 73.70 | 22 | 72 | 1122 | 190 | 100 |
He followed it with 136 at Trent Bridge, joining a tiny club of players with centuries in their first two Tests. His 255-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar was the biggest Indian partnership abroad back then. In 1997, he married Dona Roy, his childhood love, even though their families didn’t exactly throw a party about it. On the pitch, he was a star. He scored his first ODI hundred (113) against Sri Lanka and owned Pakistan in the 1997 Sahara Cup, snagging four Man of the Match awards in a row, including a crazy 5/16 with the ball.
In 1998, he helped India chase 315 in an ODI against Pakistan and grabbed three wickets in a Test win over Australia. At the 1999 World Cup, he smashed 183 off 158 balls against Sri Lanka, teaming up with Rahul Dravid for a 318-run stand, a World Cup record and the second-highest in ODI history at the time. The 2000s were rough. After a shaky 1999-2000 Test season, he took over as captain in 2000, right when match-fixing scandals had everyone questioning the game. He led India to the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy final and beat South Africa at home.
His county stint in England was a dud, and some folks didn’t like his cool. In 2001, he got heat for showing up late to tosses during Australia’s tour but pulled off a 2–1 Test series win, ending their 16-match hot streak. That shirt-waving moment at Lord’s in the 2002 NatWest Series final was a Pure Dada moment, bold, brash, and unforgettable. In 2003, he took India to the World Cup final, scoring 465 runs himself. By 2004, he was a hero, but a rough patch and fights with selectors and groundsmen got him kicked out in 2005. That same year, he got the Padma Shri for his work.
The comeback was straight out of a movie. After a messy fallout with coach Greg Chappell, he was back for the 2006 South Africa tour, scoring 83 in a warm-up and 51 in India’s first Test win there. In 2007, he was on fire with 1,106 Test runs at 61.44, including a 239 against Pakistan, and 1,240 ODI runs at 44.28. In 2008, he led Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL’s first season, hitting a fifty once. He bowed out of international cricket after a solid 2008 Test series against Australia, scoring 324 runs. In the IPL, he captained KKR again in 2010, piling up 1,031 runs over three seasons before hanging up his boots in 2012.
Sourav’s captaincy from 1999 to 2005 was when he really changed the game. He took over a team that was down and out, gave it a spine, and made it roar. In 49 Tests, he won 21, lost 13, and drew 15. At home, he won 10 of 21, lost 3, and drew 8. Away, he won 11 of 28, lost 10, drew 7, not bad for a team that used to crumble overseas. He scored 2,561 runs at 37.66, with five hundred, and took 37 catches, though he only grabbed 5 wickets. In ODIs, he led 146 games, winning 76, losing 65, with 5 no-results.
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | No Result | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 49 | 21 | 13 | 15 | – | 42.86% |
| ODI | 147 | 76 | 66 | 0 | 5 | 51.70% |
| IPL | 42 | 17 | 25 | – | – | 40.48% |
At home, he went 18-18. Abroad, he won 24 of 51, with 3 no-results. At neutral venues, he killed it, winning 34 of 59. He scored 5,104 runs at 38.66, with 11 centuries, took 46 wickets, including a 5/34, and held 61 catches. What made him special was his gut. He backed young guns like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Zaheer Khan, turning them into stars. He didn’t back down, not even against Australia.
He made India believe they could win anywhere. Sourav Ganguly wasn’t just a cricketer as he was a revolution. His silky cover drives, that fiery stare, and the Lord’s shirt wave were India saying, “We’re here.” He took a team in the dumps and made it dream big. His legacy lives in every player he mentored and every fan he inspired. Dada’s story isn’t just about cricket as it’s about standing tall when the world’s against you.