Sourav Ganguly Profile by CricketArchive

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Player:

SC Ganguly

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DateLine: 5th June 2008

 

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly has been there and done that, everything from fame to hitting big runs to leading the squad to controversies. He first appeared on the horizon in 1992 on the Australian tour. While he didn’t get a chance to play, he was termed an arrogant brat for his rude behaviour with the seniors.

 

However, 1999 was his second coming as he stroked a maiden ton on his debut at Lord’s and the rest they say is history. He instantly became the ‘God of the off-side’ and then came his big partnership with Sachin Tendulkar, which went on to become the best opening pair in the history of One-Day internationals.

 

He became India captain in 2000, at a time, when Indian cricket was going through its roughest patch, that of match fixing. But he helped put all that behind and started a new trend in which India started winning test matches abroad, more importantly, outside the sub-continent. Under him, the team peaked to reach the 2003 world cup finals in South Africa and then even more shockingly, drew Australia 1-1 in the test series Down Under in 2003-04. The highlight of the series was a fighting century he scored in the first test at Brisbane which set the tone for the whole series. And after it followed the historical tour to Pakistan, where team India triumphed in both the ODIs and the tests.

 

Things went down hill after this, as he lost his form first and then his indifferences with new coach Greg Chappell led to a breaking point in his career and everybody thought it was the end of the road for him, as he was kept out of the team for almost a year. But he slowly made his way back and had a great run where he was top scorer in the tests in South Africa, and also a fine ODI run on the tour to England. Later at home against Pakistan, he slammed back to back hundreds including a career best 239 at Bangalore.

 

He was the ICON player for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, on the behest of franchise owner Shah Rukh Khan.