All about the Life and Legacy of the "God of off-side," Sourav Ganguly, who Turned 52 Today

The 'God of off-side,' Sourav Ganguly, was formerly the captain of India and is 52 years old. Being a leader with a unique flair, Ganguly became one of India's most successful Test captains. After making his debut at Lord's in 1996 and scoring a stunning century, the left-handed batsman became well-known. He later had a strong opening combination with Sachin Tendulkar. Over the course of his tenure, he guided India to some noteworthy achievements, including as leading the team to the World Cup final in 2003 and being instrumental in making day-night Test cricket a popular sport in India.

In the summer of 1996, Sourav Ganguly made his Test debut against England, earning the moniker "Dada." After making headlines with his first century in the Test match at Lord's, he went on to make another century in the second Test, becoming just the third batsman in history to achieve a century in his opening two innings. He was elevated to the top of the One Day International (ODI) ladder later that year, and he and Sachin Tendulkar established one of the most formidable opening partnerships in Indian cricket history.

The Indian cricket team was involved in a match-fixing incident in the year 2000. After being named captain, Ganguly started developing fresh potential. India made history under his guidance as they advanced to the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy finals. A noteworthy accomplishment occurred in 2001 when India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, defeating Australia 2-1. After being urged to continue by the Australian squad, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid produced one of the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket history in this series.

When India defeated England in the 2002 Natwest Trophy finals, it was one of Ganguly's most memorable moments. He famously took off his shirt on the Lord's balcony to celebrate winning.

In 2003, Ganguly guided India to the World Cup finals, where they were defeated by Australia by a close margin. He managed India's maiden Test series victory on Pakistani territory in 2004 by overseeing both an ODI and a Test series in that country.

One major scandal during Ganguly's tenure was a 2005–06 altercation with then-coach Greg Chappell. Ganguly battled back after being dropped off the team and scored more than fifty runs in Johannesburg. After his final Test match against Australia in Nagpur in 2008, he played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) until his retirement from domestic cricket in 2012. Ganguly participated in 311 ODIs and 113 Tests throughout his international career, scoring 18,575 runs in all competitions.

The concept of day-night Test cricket in India was one of Ganguly's major accomplishments. When India and Bangladesh played their first-ever day-night Test match at the Eden Gardens in 2019, his efforts paid off.

In 195 games in all forms, Ganguly guided India to 97 wins. He went on to become the President of the Cricket Association of B.C. after finishing his playing career.