Sourav Ganguly

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ganguly was born the youngest son of Chandidas and Nirupa Ganguly; his father ran a flourishing print business and was one of the richest men in Calcutta. Ganguly had a luxurious childhood and was nicknamed 'Maharaj', meaning the Great King. Despite being right-handed, he learnt to bat left-handed so he could use his elder brother Snehasish's sporting equipment. Snehasish, already an established cricketer for Bengal, supported Ganguly's dream and asked their father to enrol him in a cricket coaching camp during summer holidays when Ganguly was in tenth standard. An indoor multi-gym and concrete wicket were built at home so the brothers could practice, and they watched old match videos, especially of David Gower, whom Ganguly admired. After scoring a century against the Orissa Under-15 side, he was made captain of St Xavier's School's cricket team, where several teammates complained about what they perceived as his arrogance. While touring with a junior team, Ganguly refused his turn as twelfth man, reportedly because he considered the duties—organising equipment and drinks, delivering messages—beneath his social status. He made his first-class debut for Bengal in 1989, the same year his brother was dropped from the team. He married Indian classical dancer Dona Ganguly, with whom he has a daughter Sana (b. 2001). On 2 January 2021, Ganguly complained of chest pain while exercising and was diagnosed with three blocked coronary arteries leading to a mild heart attack; he underwent primary angioplasty for one blockage that same day.

In Their Own Story

At Lord's in 1996, Ganguly made his Test debut against England after teammate Navjot Singh Sidhu left the touring party citing ill-treatment by captain Mohammad Azharuddin. England had won the First Test, but Ganguly scored a century, becoming only the third cricketer to achieve that feat on debut at Lord's, after Harry Graham and John Hampshire. His 131 remains the highest by any batsman on debut at the ground. In the next Test at Trent Bridge he made 136, becoming only the third batsman to make a century in each of his first two innings (after Lawrence Rowe and Alvin Kallicharran). He shared a 255-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar, at that time the highest partnership for India against any country for any wicket outside India. During the 1999 World Cup match against Sri Lanka at Taunton, Ganguly scored 183 from 158 balls, hitting 17 fours and seven sixes—the second highest score in World Cup history and the highest by an Indian in the tournament at the time. His partnership of 318 with Rahul Dravid remains the highest overall score in a World Cup and second highest in all ODI cricket. In 2000, after the match-fixing scandal, Ganguly was named captain because Tendulkar stepped down for health reasons and Ganguly was vice-captain. He led India to the finals of the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy, scoring two centuries including one in the final, though New Zealand won by four wickets. In Australia's 2001 tour of India, Ganguly caused controversy by arriving late for the toss on four occasions, agitating opposing captain Steve Waugh, and in the Fourth ODI he failed to wear his playing attire to the toss. However, India won the Test series 2–1, ending Australia's run of 16 consecutive Test match victories in the Second Test.

Reader's Guide

Ganguly scored 11,363 runs in his ODI career, ninth in the world for most ODI runs. He was the third batsman to cross 10,000 ODI runs, after Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam Ul Haq. He holds the record for the highest score in an innings (183) by an Indian batsman in the ODI Cricket World Cup. In 2002, Wisden ranked him the sixth greatest ODI batsman of all time. As captain, he led India to win the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and reach the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2004 Asia Cup. In his ODI debut against the West Indies in 1992, he scored three runs and was dropped immediately, perceived as 'arrogant'—it was rumoured he refused to carry drinks for teammates, later denied by him. He toiled in domestic cricket, scoring heavily in the 1993–94 and 1994–95 Ranji seasons, and after an innings of 171 in the 1995–96 Duleep Trophy was recalled for a tour of England in 1996. In 1997, he scored his maiden ODI century (113) against Sri Lanka, and later that year won four consecutive man of the match awards in the Sahara Cup with Pakistan, the second after taking five wickets for 16 runs off 10 overs—his best ODI bowling. After a barren Test run, his form returned with three centuries in four Tests against Sri Lanka, two involving stands with Tendulkar of over 250. In the 1998 Independence Cup final at Dhaka, India chased 315 off 48 overs and Ganguly won Man of the Match. In March 1998 against Australia in Kolkata, he took three wickets opening the bowling with his medium pace. In 1999–00, India lost Test series to Australia and South Africa; Ganguly struggled in Tests (224 runs at 22.40) but his ODI form was impressive with five centuries, taking him to the top of the PwC One Day Ratings for batsmen. In county cricket, at Lancashire teammate Andrew Flintoff thought him aloof, comparing his attitude to Prince Charles; at Northamptonshire in 2006 he averaged 4.80 from four first-class appearances.

Did You Know?

• Ganguly is the third batsman to cross 10,000 ODI runs, after Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam Ul Haq.
• He holds the record for the highest score in an innings (183) by an Indian batsman in the ODI Cricket World Cup.
• On his Test debut at Lord's in 1996, Ganguly scored 131—still the highest by any batsman on debut at the ground.
• He was the third cricketer to score a century in each of his first two Test innings, after Lawrence Rowe and Alvin Kallicharran.
• Ganguly's 318-run partnership with Rahul Dravid against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup is the highest overall score in a World Cup and second highest in all ODI cricket.