Sourav Ganguly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sourav Ganguly
Ganguly in 2008
Chairman of the ICC Men's Cricket Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 November 2021
Preceded by	Anil Kumble
35th President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
In office 23 October 2019 – 18 October 2022
Preceded by	C.K. Khanna
Succeeded by	Roger Binny
16th President of the Cricket Association of Bengal
In office 2015–2019
Preceded by	Jagmohan Dalmiya
Succeeded by	Avishek Dalmiya Personal information Full name Sourav Chandidas Ganguly Born (1972-07-08) 8 July 1972 (age 52) Behala, Calcutta, West Bengal, India Nickname Dada, Prince of Calcutta, Maharaj, Bengal Tiger Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Batting Left-handed Bowling Right-arm medium Role Batsman Relations Dona Ganguly ​ (m. 1997)​ Sana Ganguly (daughter) Snehasish Ganguly (brother) International information National side India (1992–2008) Test debut (cap 206) 20 June 1996 v England Last Test 6 November 2008 v Australia ODI debut (cap 84) 11 January 1992 v West Indies Last ODI 15 November 2007 v Pakistan ODI shirt no. 99 (previously 21, 24, 1, 2) Domestic team information Years Team 1990–2010 Bengal 2000 Lancashire 2005 Glamorgan 2006 Northamptonshire 2008–2010 Kolkata Knight Riders 2011–2012 Pune Warriors India Career statistics Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 113 311 254 437 Runs scored 7,212 11,363 15,687 15,622 Batting average 42.17 41.02 44.18 43.32 100s/50s 16/35 22/72 33/89 31/97 Top score 239 183 239 183 Balls bowled 3,117 4,561 11,108 8,199 Wickets 32 100 167 171 Bowling average 52.53 38.49 36.52 38.86 5 wickets in innings 0 2 4 2 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 3/28 5/16 6/46 5/16 Catches/stumpings 71/– 100/– 168/– 131/– Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  India ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 2003 South Africa-Zimbabwe-Kenya ICC Champions Trophy Winner 2002 Sri Lanka Runner-up 2000 Kenya ACC Asia Cup Runner-up 1997 Sri Lanka Runner-up 2004 Sri Lanka Source: ESPNcricinfo, 2 January 2013
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Sourav Chandidas Ganguly (born 8 July 1972) is a famous Indian cricket commentator and former cricket player. People often call him Dada, which means "elder brother" in Bengali. He is also known as the Maharaja of Indian Cricket.

Sourav Ganguly was the captain of the Indian national cricket team. Many consider him one of India's best cricket captains ever. As captain, he led India to win the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy. His team also reached the finals of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy, and the 2004 Asia Cup.

Ganguly scored 11,363 runs in his One Day International (ODI) career. This places him ninth in the world for most runs in ODI matches. He was the third player to score over 10,000 runs in One Day cricket. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam Ul Haq did it before him. He holds the record for the highest score by an Indian batsman in an ODI World Cup innings (183 runs). In 2002, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ranked him the sixth greatest ODI batsman of all time. He stopped playing international cricket in 2008 and retired from all cricket in 2012.

In 2004, Ganguly received the Padma Shri. This is India's fourth-highest award for civilians. In 2019, he became the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He also helped with investigations into cricket issues for the Supreme Court of India.

Early Life and Family

Sourav Ganguly was born on 8 July 1972 in Calcutta. He is the youngest son of Chandidas and Nirupa Ganguly. His father, Chandidas, ran a successful printing business. He was one of the richest people in the city. Sourav had a very comfortable childhood. This is why he was nicknamed 'Maharaja', meaning 'Great King'. His father passed away in 2013 at age 73 after a long illness.

At first, Ganguly loved football, which was very popular in Calcutta. But his mother, Nirupa, wanted him to focus on his studies. She was not very keen on him pursuing cricket as a career. His older brother, Snehasish, was already a cricketer for the Bengal cricket team. Snehasish supported Sourav's dream. He asked their father to enroll Sourav in a cricket coaching camp during his summer holidays. Sourav was in tenth grade at the time.

Even though he was right-handed, Ganguly learned to bat left-handed. This allowed him to use his brother's cricket gear. When he showed talent as a batsman, he joined a cricket academy. His family even built an indoor gym and a concrete cricket pitch at their home. This allowed him and Snehasish to practice. They watched many old cricket videos, especially games played by David Gower, whom Ganguly admired.

After scoring a century against the Orissa Under–15 team, he became captain of St Xavier's School's cricket team. Some teammates felt he was arrogant. Once, while touring with a junior team, Ganguly refused to be the twelfth man. He felt that duties like organizing equipment and drinks were below him. However, his excellent playing skills earned him a chance. He made his first-class cricket debut for Bengal in 1989. This was the same year his brother was dropped from the team.

Sourav is married to Indian classical dancer Dona Ganguly. They have a daughter named Sana, born in 2001.

Health Update

On 2 January 2021, Ganguly felt chest pain while exercising. Doctors later found he had three blocked coronary arteries. This caused a mild cardiac arrest. He had a procedure called primary angioplasty for one of the blockages that same day.

Playing Career Highlights

Early Days and Big Debut (1990–1996)

The Pavilion at Lord's, where Ganguly made his Test debut in 1996

After a great season in the Ranji Trophy in 1990–91, Ganguly played his first One Day International (ODI) for India. It was against the West Indies in 1992, but he only scored three runs. He was quickly removed from the team. People thought he was "arrogant" and questioned his attitude. There were rumors he refused to carry drinks for teammates, which he later denied.

He worked hard in domestic cricket, scoring many runs in the 1993–94 and 1994–95 Ranji seasons. After scoring 171 runs in the 1995–96 Duleep Trophy, he was called back to the Indian team. This was for a tour of England in 1996. He played one ODI but was not chosen for the first Test. However, after teammate Navjot Singh Sidhu left the tour, Ganguly made his Test debut. This was against England in the Second Test at Lord's Cricket Ground. Rahul Dravid also debuted in the same match.

England had won the first Test. But Ganguly scored a century, hitting 131 runs. He became only the third player to score a century on debut at Lord's. His score of 131 is still the highest by any batsman on debut there. India did not need to bat again, and the match ended in a draw. In the next Test at Trent Bridge, he scored 136 runs. This made him only the third batsman to score a century in each of his first two innings. He and Sachin Tendulkar shared a 255-run partnership. This was India's highest partnership outside India at that time. The series ended 1–0 to England.

Marriage, Opening in ODIs, and World Cup '99 (1997–1999)

Ganguly in Sri Lanka in 2008.

Weeks after his successful England tour, Ganguly married his childhood sweetheart, Dona Roy. Their families were not on good terms, so this news caused a stir. However, the families later made peace, and a formal wedding took place in February 1997. That same year, Ganguly scored his first ODI century. He hit 113 runs against Sri Lanka.

Later that year, he won four "man of the match" awards in a row. This was during the Sahara Cup against Pakistan. In one of these matches, he took five wickets for just 16 runs. This was his best bowling performance in an ODI. After a tough time in Test cricket, his form returned. He scored three centuries in four Tests, all against Sri Lanka. Two of these centuries involved big partnerships with Sachin Tendulkar.

In January 1998, during the final of the 1997-98 Silver Jubilee Independence Cup in Dhaka, India chased down 315 runs. Ganguly won the Man of the Match award. In March 1998, he helped India defeat Australia in Kolkata. He took three wickets, opening the bowling with his medium-pace deliveries.

Ganguly played for India in the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England. In a match against Sri Lanka at Taunton, India batted first. After Sadagoppan Ramesh was out, Ganguly scored 183 runs from 158 balls. He hit 17 fours and seven sixes. This was the second-highest score in World Cup history at the time. It was also the highest by an Indian in the tournament. His partnership of 318 runs with Rahul Dravid is the highest for any wicket in a World Cup match. It is also the second-highest in all ODI cricket.

In 1999–2000, India lost Test series to Australia and South Africa. Ganguly struggled in Tests, scoring 224 runs at an average of 22.40. However, his ODI form was excellent. He scored five centuries that season. This took him to the top of the PwC One Day Ratings for batsmen.

Becoming Captain and Achievements (2000–2005)

The shirt that Ganguly took off at the final of the NatWest Series, on display at a store in London.

In 2000, after some cricket issues, Ganguly became the captain of the Indian cricket team. This happened because Tendulkar stepped down due to health reasons, and Ganguly was the vice-captain. He started well as captain. He led India to win a five-match ODI series against South Africa. He also led the team to the finals of the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy. He scored two centuries in that tournament, including one in the final. However, New Zealand won the final.

The same year, Ganguly tried playing county cricket in England but was not very successful. In 2001, during Australia's tour of India, Ganguly caused some debate. He arrived late for the coin toss four times, which annoyed the opposing captain, Steve Waugh. India still won the Test series 2–1. They ended Australia's streak of 16 straight Test wins. In November 2001, Ganguly's wife Dona gave birth to their daughter, Sana.

During the final match of the 2002 NatWest Series at Lord's, India won after amazing performances by Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. Ganguly celebrated by taking off his shirt and waving it in the air. He was later criticized for this. He said he was just copying Andrew Flintoff, a British player, who had done something similar in India.

Shirt swayed by Sourav Ganguly

In 2003, India reached the World Cup Final for the first time since 1983. They lost to Australia. Ganguly had a great tournament personally. He scored 465 runs with an average of 58.12, including three centuries.

By 2004, he had become a very successful captain. Many in the media called him India's most successful cricket captain. However, his own performance declined during his captaincy, especially after the World Cup. In 2004, Australia won a Test series in India for the first time since 1969.

Due to his inconsistent form in 2004 and poor form in 2005, he was dropped from the team in October 2005. The captaincy went to Rahul Dravid. Ganguly decided not to retire and tried to make a comeback. In 2004, he received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award. This was for his great contributions to sports. The then President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, presented him with the award on 30 June 2004.

Comeback and Challenges (2006–2007)

Ganguly signing autographs outside his residence.

In September 2005, Greg Chappell became India's coach for the tour of Zimbabwe. Ganguly had disagreements with him, which made many headlines. Chappell sent an email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. He said Ganguly was not fit to lead India and that his behavior was harming the team. This email was leaked, causing a big reaction from Ganguly's fans. The board had to step in and ask them to resolve their differences.

Ganguly, Chappell, and the team manager met with the BCCI committee. They promised to work together. Because of his poor form and issues with the coach, Ganguly was removed as captain. Dravid took over. Ten months later, during India's tour to South Africa, Ganguly was called back to the team. This happened after his replacements, Suresh Raina and Mohammad Kaif, struggled.

India's batting was poor in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy and the ODI series in South Africa. Ganguly then made his comeback to the Test team. He scored 83 runs in a practice match against the rest of South Africa, helping India win. In his first Test innings back, against South Africa in Johannesburg, he scored 51 runs. This helped India win their first Test match in South Africa. Although India lost the series, Ganguly scored the most runs.

After his successful Test comeback, he was recalled for the ODI team. In his first ODI innings in almost two years, he scored a match-winning 98 runs. He performed well in both series, averaging almost 70. He won the Man of the Series Award against Sri Lanka.

Ganguly was chosen for the official team for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. He was India's top scorer in their first-round loss against Bangladesh. After India was knocked out early, there were reports of problems between some players and coach Chappell. Ganguly was said to have ignored instructions to score quickly. Chappell decided not to continue as coach, citing "family and personal reasons."

On 12 December 2007, Ganguly scored his first double century in his career. He scored 239 runs in the first innings of the third Test against Pakistan. He and Yuvraj Singh had a 300-run partnership. Ganguly played very well in both Test and ODI cricket in 2007. He scored 1106 Test runs at an average of 61.44. This included three centuries and four half-centuries. He was the second-highest run-scorer in Tests that year, after Jacques Kallis. He was also the fifth-highest run-scorer in ODIs, with 1240 runs at an average of 44.28.

For his great performances in 2007, Cricinfo named him in the World Test XI team.

International Retirement and IPL (2008–2012)

Ganguly with the symbol of the Kolkata Knight Riders, flanked by Shah Rukh Khan on the right and Gauri Khan on the left.

In February 2008, Ganguly became the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team. This team is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and is part of the Indian Premier League (IPL). On 18 April 2008, Ganguly led KKR in their first IPL Twenty20 match. They had a huge 140-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore. Ganguly opened the batting with Brendon McCullum and scored 10 runs. McCullum scored an amazing 158 runs. On 1 May, Ganguly made his second T20 half-century, scoring 51 runs off 39 balls.

On 7 July 2008, news reports suggested Ganguly might become the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). He did not deny these reports. In October of the same year, Ganguly announced that the Test series against Australia would be his last. He said he hoped to finish with a winning performance. Ganguly played in all four Tests and scored 324 runs at an average of 54.00. In the second Test in Mohali, he scored his final Test century. In his very last Test match in Nagpur, he scored 85 and 0 runs. In the final Test, with India needing one more wicket to win, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni asked Ganguly to lead the team on the field one last time. India won the series 2–0, taking back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In May 2009, Ganguly was removed as KKR captain for the 2009 IPL season. McCullum replaced him. This decision was questioned by the media and other players. KKR finished last that season. After that, Bengali TV channel Zee Bangla hired him to host a quiz show called Dadagiri Unlimited. In August, he became the chairman of CAB's Cricket Development Committee. He also played for the Bengal team in the Ranji Cup in October 2009. Ganguly scored 110 runs against Delhi.

In the third IPL season, Ganguly was again made KKR captain. In 40 matches for KKR, he scored 1,031 runs and took eight wickets. In the fourth season, the Pune Warriors India signed him. He scored 50 runs in four matches. In the 2012 season, he was appointed as the Captain and mentor for Pune Warriors India. On 29 October 2012, he announced he would not play in the next IPL season and would retire from all cricket.

Administration Career (2013–Present)

Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah unveils the statue of Arun Jaitley in presence of him in New Delhi on 28 December 2020.

Ganguly was part of a committee appointed by the Supreme Court of India. This committee investigated issues in the IPL. From 2015 to October 2019, he was the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal. In 2018, his autobiography, A Century is Not Enough, was published. In March 2019, Ganguly became an advisor for the Delhi Capitals IPL team. In October 2019, he became the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He also became President of the editorial board for Wisden India.

The West Bengal government upgraded Ganguly's security. He now has 8 to 10 police personnel guarding him.

Playing Style and Influences

Ganguly in action on the field.

Ganguly said that David Gower was the first cricketer who made him love the game. He admired Gower's style and watched old videos of him playing. Other cricketers who influenced him were David Boon, Mohinder Amarnath, Kapil Dev, and Allan Border.

Ganguly was a left-handed batsman. He scored most of his runs from the off-side. Experts noted that he played off-side shots like the square cut and cover drive with great skill. Rahul Dravid even called Ganguly "...next to God on the off-side." He could hit powerful shots to the off-side easily. However, early in his career, he struggled with hook and pull shots. He was also criticized for not handling short bouncers well. But after his comeback in 2007, he improved these weaknesses a lot.

In ODIs, Ganguly usually opened the batting. He would try to take advantage of fielding rules by stepping forward and hitting fast bowlers over extra cover. He was known for attacking left-arm spin bowlers. He had excellent eye–hand coordination. He would quickly judge the ball's length, step down the pitch, and hit it high over mid-on or midwicket, often for a six. However, he was not always good at running between the wickets. He sometimes misjudged quick singles. There were times when his batting partner was run out because Ganguly called for a run, then sent them back.

Ganguly is a right-arm medium pace bowler. He can make the ball swing and seam both ways. He often takes important wickets to break partnerships. Despite not being very athletic as a fielder, Ganguly took 100 catches in one-day Internationals. However, he was criticized for his ground fielding. He was slow in stopping the ball to prevent runs and often got injured while catching the ball.

Ganguly's relationship with former Indian coach John Wright was very important. They are credited with helping Indian cricket produce world-class players. Ganguly and Wright, along with players like Tendulkar and Dravid, understood the need for a foreign coach. Ganguly's aggressive style and Wright's focus on fitness helped create a stronger Indian cricket team.

Legacy and Impact

Centuries Against Different Nations

Opposition	Test	ODI
Sri Lanka	3	4
New Zealand	3	3
Zimbabwe	2	3
England	3	1
Pakistan	2	2
Australia	2	1
South Africa	–	3
Bangladesh	1	1
Kenya	NA	3
Namibia	NA	1
Total	16	22

Between 2000 and 2005, Ganguly became India's most successful Test captain. He led his team to 21 victories. This was seven more wins than Mohammad Azharuddin, who had the second most. He also captained in a record 49 matches. This was twice as many as Azharuddin and Sunil Gavaskar. When he was not captain, his batting average in Tests was 45.47. As captain, it was a bit lower at 37.66.

Ganguly was the seventh Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches. He is the 4th highest overall run-scorer for India in Tests. He is also the fourth Indian to play in over 300 ODIs. In terms of total runs in ODIs, Ganguly is third among Indians. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have more. He is ninth overall in the world. He scored 16 centuries in Test matches and 22 in ODIs. He is one of only ten batsmen to score over 10,000 runs in ODIs.

Along with Tendulkar, Ganguly formed one of the most successful opening pairs in One Day Cricket. They have the most century partnerships (26) for the first wicket. Together, they scored over 7,000 runs at an average of 48.98. They also hold the world record for most 50-run partnerships for the first wicket (44 fifties). Ganguly was the fourth player to cross 11,000 ODI runs. He was also the fastest player to do so in ODI cricket, after Tendulkar. As of 2006, he is the only Indian captain to win a Test series in Pakistan. He is also one of only five players in the world to achieve a unique combination. This is 10,000 runs, 100 wickets, and 100 catches in ODI cricket history. The others are Tendulkar, Kallis, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Ganguly with the young cricketers of the Kolkata Knight Riders team during IPL 2009.

Author Mihir Bose noted that Ganguly changed the image of Indian cricketers. He showed that he could lead a team with great players like Sachin and Dravid. Under Ganguly's leadership, India started winning more matches and tournaments. Within a few years, Ganguly changed how a cricket captain should lead. Unlike some before him, Ganguly was seen as fair. He always pushed his players to do better. He was also honest in his interactions with the media and fans. This earned him respect from cricket followers everywhere.

However, he also faced criticism. Some saw Ganguly as hot-tempered and unwilling to listen to others. Matthew Engel, an ICC critic, felt that Ganguly's stubbornness might harm him one day. An article in Cricinfo Magazine pointed out his bold behavior. The reporter Rahul Bhattacharya said that Ganguly encouraged aggressive young players. He believed that "good behavior" belonged in school, not on the field. Ganguly himself was called before the match referee 12 times in a decade.

Ganguly believed his biggest legacy as captain was building a strong Indian team. He felt that young players should play two years of domestic cricket before joining international teams. He also said that new players should be given at least five games to prove themselves. He explained that a past unfair decision almost ruined his career. This helped him understand the challenges new players faced better than his predecessors. Ganguly always supported the influence of younger players on the team.

Despite his contributions, his captaincy and coaching methods were closely examined. Engel commented that Ganguly seemed unaware of the problems his decisions created. He felt Ganguly didn't know how to lead and tried to cover it up by creating conflicts among younger team members. He believed such tactics would eventually stop working.

Overall Career Performance

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Ganguly's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of last ten innings (blue line).

Test Match Batting Statistics by Opponent

Test Match Career Performance By Opposition		Batting Statistics
Opposition	Matches	Runs	Average	High Score	100 / 50
Australia	24	1403	35.07	144	2 / 7
Bangladesh	5	371	61.83	100	1 / 3
England	12	983	57.82	136	3 / 5
New Zealand	8	563	46.91	125	3 / 2
Pakistan	12	902	47.47	239	2 / 4
South Africa	17	947	33.82	87	0 / 7
Sri Lanka	14	1064	46.26	173	3 / 4
West Indies	12	449	32.07	75*	0 / 2
Zimbabwe	9	530	44.16	136	2 / 1
Overall figures	113	7212	42.17	239	16 / 35

ODI Batting Statistics by Opponent

ODI Career Performance By Opposition		Batting Statistics
Opposition	Matches	Runs	Average	High Score	100 / 50
Australia	35	774	23.45	100	1 / 5
Bangladesh	10	459	57.37	135*	1 / 4
England	26	975	39.00	117*	1 / 7
New Zealand	32	1079	35.96	153*	3 / 6
Pakistan	53	1652	35.14	141	2 / 9
South Africa	29	1313	50.50	141*	3 / 8
Sri Lanka	44	1534	40.36	183	4 / 9
West Indies	27	1142	47.58	98	0 / 11
Zimbabwe	36	1367	42.71	144	3 / 7
ICC World XI	1	22	22.00	22	0 / 0
Africa XI	2	120	60.00	88	0 / 1
Bermuda	1	89	89.00	89	0 / 1
Ireland	1	73	–	73*	0 / 1
Kenya	11	588	73.50	111*	3 / 2
Namibia	1	112	–	112*	1 / 0
Netherlands	1	8	8.00	8	0 / 0
U.A.E.	1	56	56.00	56	0 / 1
Overall figures	311	11363	41.02	183	22 / 72

Records and Achievements

President A.P.J Abdul Kalam (right) presenting the Padma Shri Award to Ganguly (left), 2004

• He is the only cricketer to win four "man of the match" awards in a row in One Day Internationals.
• He is the ninth highest run-scorer in ODI history and third among Indians, with 11,363 runs.
• He holds the record for the highest individual score by any batsman in an ICC Champions Trophy final (117 runs).
• He was also the first player to score 3 centuries in the history of the ICC Champions Trophy.
• He was the second fastest batsman to reach 9,000 ODI runs. AB De Villiers of South Africa broke his record in 2017.
• He is one of only six cricketers to achieve a unique combination of 10,000 runs, 100 wickets, and 100 catches in ODI cricket. (The others are Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Jacques Kallis, Chris Gayle, and Tillakaratne Dilshan.)
• He has the highest individual score by an Indian batsman (183 runs) in the Cricket World Cup.
• He is one of 14 cricketers in the world to have played 100 or more Tests and 300 or more ODIs.
• Sourav Ganguly is the only batsman to score a century on debut and to be dismissed on the first ball in his final Test innings.

Captaincy Record

Test Match Captaincy Statistics

One Day International Captaincy Statistics