Sourav Ganguly turns 52: Here's all about the life and legacy of the 'God of off-side'

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, also known as the 'God of off-side,' has turned 52. Ganguly, noted for his distinct leadership style, emerged as one of India's most successful Test captains.

The left-handed batsman first gained attention with a magnificent hundred on his debut at Lord's in 1996 and went on to form a formidable opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar. Over his career, he led India through significant milestones, including taking the team to the finals of the 2003 World Cup and playing a crucial role in popularizing day-night Test cricket in India.

Sourav Ganguly made his Test debut against England in the summer of 1996, where he earned the nickname 'Dada.' His first Test century at Lord's quickly made headlines, and he followed it up with another ton in his second Test, making him the third batsman in history to score a hundred in each of his first two innings. Later that year, he was promoted to the top of the One Day International (ODI) order, where he developed a successful opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar, marking one of the most potent combinations in Indian cricket history.

In 2000, the Indian cricket team was embroiled in a match-fixing scandal. Ganguly was appointed the captain and began grooming new talent. Under his captaincy, India reached the finals of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy for the first time. A notable achievement came in 2001 when India defeated Australia 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In this series, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid staged one of the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket history after being asked to follow on by the Australian team.

One of Ganguly's most memorable moments was during the Natwest Trophy finals in 2002 when India beat England. Celebrating the victory, he famously stripped off his shirt on the Lord's balcony.

Ganguly also led India to the World Cup finals in 2003, where they narrowly lost to Australia. In 2004, he oversaw both an ODI and a Test series in Pakistan, achieving India's first Test series triumph on Pakistani soil.

A notable controversy in Ganguly's career involved a spat with then-coach Greg Chappell in 2005-06. After being left out of the team, Ganguly fought his way back and recorded a fifty-plus score in Johannesburg. He last played a Test against Australia in Nagpur in 2008 and continued to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) until 2012, when he retired from domestic cricket. Over his international career, Ganguly played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs, amassing 18,575 runs across all formats.

One of Ganguly's significant contributions was promoting the idea of day-night Test cricket in India. His efforts were fruitful when India played its first-ever day-night Test match against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in 2019.

Ganguly led India in 195 matches across all formats, securing 97 victories. After his playing career, he went on to become the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and served as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

With ANI Inputs