This is Part 8 of Legends of Indian Cricket, our 20-part series on the players who shaped the game in India. New here? Start with Part 1: Vinoo Mankad, or read the previous part, Part 7: Rahul Dravid.
In 2000, Indian cricket was reeling from the match-fixing scandal. The man asked to rebuild it was Sourav Ganguly, born in Kolkata in 1972. As captain, "Dada" gave India a new attitude: aggressive, proud and unafraid of anyone.
A dream debut
Ganguly scored 131 on his Test debut at Lord's in 1996, followed by another century in his second Test. A graceful left-hander, he was soon called the "God of the off side" for his cover drives.
The captain
- Led India in 49 Tests, winning 21, a record at the time.
- Backed young players such as Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan.
- Led India to the 2003 World Cup final.
- Won India's first Test series in Pakistan, in 2004.
The NatWest final, 2002
When India chased down 326 against England in the NatWest Series final at Lord's, Ganguly took off his shirt and waved it from the balcony, a reply to Andrew Flintoff's celebration in Mumbai months earlier. The image became a symbol of a confident new India.
Career in numbers
- 113 Tests, 7,212 runs and 16 centuries.
- 311 ODIs, 11,363 runs and 22 centuries.
- 183 against Sri Lanka at the 1999 World Cup.
After playing
Ganguly became a popular commentator and served as President of the BCCI from 2019 to 2022.
Legacy
Many of the players who won the 2011 World Cup under MS Dhoni were first picked and backed by Ganguly. His captaincy is often called the turning point of modern Indian cricket.
Statistics are for international cricket and are correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026; figures for active players will change.
Next in the series: Part 9: VVS Laxman.
