Sourav Ganguly, one of the greatest Indian captains ever, turned 51 on Saturday. While Ganguly has scored 18,575 runs across 424 international cricket matches, including over 7,000 runs in Tests, his stronger format was ODIs. While Ganguly has scored 18,575 runs across 424 international cricket matches, including over 7,000 runs in Tests, his stronger format was ODIs. Ahead of his birthday, Ganguly shared a collage of his pictures with the caption: "The support & love keeps us going. Few more hours to go ...". Irfan Pathan, Ganguly's former teammate, pointed out that one of the images in the collages was that of him. "Daadi I never knew that we look so similiar while batting that you will get confused;) But Thank you i will take that as a huge compliment," he tweeted.
In the long format, Sourav played 113 matches. He scored 7,212 runs at an average of 42.17. He smashed 16 centuries and 35 half-centuries in 188 innings, with the best score of 239. He is the seventh-highest run-scorer for India in Test cricket. He smashed a century on his Test debut against England at the Lord's in 1996.
As a captain, he led India in 49 matches. Out of this, India won 21 matches, lost 13 and drew 15 matches. With a win percentage of 42.85, he is one of the most successful captains for India. In 2001, the Ganguly-led side defeated Australia 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The Australian team, captained by Steve Waugh, challenged India to follow on in the series, but VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid staged one of the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket history in the second Test at Kolkata. This Test series win is considered as one of India's best.
In 2004, he also oversaw an ODI and Test series in Pakistan. The Test series triumph was India's first on Pakistani soil. India also won the ODI series.
Ganguly has also represented India in 311 ODIs, scoring 11,363 runs at an average of 41.02. He has scored 22 centuries and 72 half-centuries in 300 innings, with the best score of 183. He is the ninth-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket and the third-highest run-scorer for India in ODIs.
Ganguly is the fourth-fastest to 7,000 (174 innings), 8,000 (200 innings) and 9,000 ODI runs (228 innings) and third-fastest to 10,000 ODI runs (263 innings).
His run in 2000 as a batter made him the player with second highest runs in ODIs in a calendar year. In that year, Ganguly played 32 ODIs, scoring 1,579 runs at an average of 56.39. He also scored seven centuries and six fifties, with the best score of 144.
He led India to 147 ODI matches, winning 76, losing 66 and five failed to produce results. In ODIs, he had a win percentage of 51.70.
Ganguly led India to the finals of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy for the first time. India and SL also shared the title in 2002 after the final was abandoned due to rain.
Ganguly's most memorable moment was definitely when he removed his shirt on the Lord's balcony and started waving it, when India famously beat England from the jaws of defeat in the Natwest Trophy finals in 2002. Ganguly also led India to the World Cup finals in 2003, where they narrowly lost to Australia in the championship game.
With ANI inputs