Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. Pic courtesy/Sachin Tendulkar's Twitter account

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October 23, 1996. In what was Ganguly’s 11th ODI, he was asked to open the innings with none other than Sachin Tendulkar himself. Even though India lost that match, Ganguly and Tendulkar clicked together stitching a 126-run stand. 90s kids would remember their childhood being lit up by many partnerships by this pair.

A star is born

September 1997. It can be termed as one of the high points of his career. Ganguly orchestrated a famous series victory against Pakistan in Toronto. He shone with both the bat and the ball, and took home as many as four MOTM awards in a five-match series. No points for guessing who won the Man of The Series award.

Captaincy calling

Even though Ganguly had led the side in the absence of Tendulkar before, his real breakthrough came after the latter’s resignation. In the five-match home ODI series against South Africa in February 2000, Ganguly showed the world that he was as able as a leader, as he was as a batsman. He performed well with the bat, and India won the series 3-2. Nobody questions his future as the architect of Indian cricket.

Heartbreak at Johannesburg

After brushing aside Kenya in the semi-finals, India had a shot at glory after 20 long years in the 2003 World Cup. Sourav Ganguly’s astute captaincy had led them to this point, but it turned out to be Ricky Ponting’s day. He smashed a 121-ball 140 much to the dismay of crores of Indian fans. Ganguly’s men couldn’t respond with the bat and the early wicket of Sachin Tendulkar didn’t help their cause. Australia won the match by 125 runs.

From bad to worse

In October 2004, Sourav Ganguly experiences a harsh failure both as a captain and a batsman. Australia beat India by 217 runs in the first Test at Bangalore, and eventually take home the series 2-1. Next year, in March, India draw a home Test series against arch rivals Pakistan.

Rockbottom

Sourav Ganguly (C) chats with then coach Greg Chappell (R) as captain Rahul Dravid looks on during a practice session in New Delhi in December 2005. Pic/AFP

The famous Greg Chappell-Sourav Ganguly saga took place in September 2005. Ganguly and then Indian coach Chappell had a public fallout and after a few months of below average batting, he was asked to step down as captain of the team.

Never back down

In November 2006, Ganguly made a solid comeback in an away Test series against South Africa. He scored a fighting half-century in the first Test at Johannesburg. The conditions were not suitable for batsmen and many players from both sides were unable to get their score in double digits.

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend

In October 2008, Ganguly announces that the four match Test series at home against Australia will be his last. He is given a farewell deserving of his contribution to Indian cricket as India regain the Border Gavaskar trophy.

Back at the top

On 23rd October 2019, Ganguly is announced as the BCCI chief, and everyone rejoices. He addresses important issues with class and grace, and promises to take the game forward in the country with total sincerity.

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