Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly turned 50 years old on Friday, July 8. The celebrated captain took charge at the helm way back in 2019 and has worked brilliantly for the well-being of Indian cricket as well. Before that, he served the country for as long as 15 years after making his debut way back in January 1992 against the West Indies in Brisbane. Ganguly’s career took off in 1996 when he smashed a sparkling century against England at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
In 2001, he guided India to a stunning 2-1 victory in the home Test series against Steve Waugh’s Australia, who used to be a strong team then. Thereafter, he led Team India to the final of the 2003 World Cup, where the Men in Blue lost to Australia at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. However, Ganguly was dropped from the team for certain reasons but returned. In November 2008, he donned the national colours for the last time in a Test match against the Aussies in Nagpur.
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He has played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs, smashing 7212 and 11363 runs, including 38 centuries and 107 half-centuries as well. Sourav Ganguly claimed 132 wickets for India at the highest level, including one four-wicket haul and two five-wicket hauls as well. Ganguly has also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL). After having played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he represented the now-defunct Pune Warriors as well.
Meanwhile, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh took to social media and tweeted, “Happy Birthday Dada! You’ve been a great friend, an impactful captain and a senior any youngster would want to learn from. Wishing you good health and happiness on your special day ?? lots of love and best wishes always.”
Happy Birthday Dada! You’ve been a great friend, an impactful captain and a senior any youngster would want to learn from.
Wishing you good health and happiness on your special day 🎂 lots of love and best wishes always @SGanguly99 #HappyBirthdayDada pic.twitter.com/SPEIVIXJcA
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) July 8, 2022
Here is how Twitterati reacted on the birthday of Sourav Ganguly:
From a fine batsman to an outstanding captain & now leading indian cricket on the whole—here’s wishing my favourite captain & mentor @SGanguly99 a very happy birthday.#HappyBirthdayDada pic.twitter.com/Sx1l1lQZJS
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 8, 2022
To see him cover drive a cricket ball was something else! But his real legacy is the number of cricketers who say they owe so much of their success to his backing & support, from Yuvraj and Zaheer to Bhajji and Sehwag. Happy birthday Sourav Ganguly! https://t.co/e0G3nR70ul
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) July 8, 2022
One of the players who changed the face of Indian cricket forever.
Wishing you a very happy birthday Dada 🎂 pic.twitter.com/U210p1oh6P— DK (@DineshKarthik) July 8, 2022
Happy Birthday, Dada. May you be blessed with good health and happiness for the year ahead. pic.twitter.com/Kd7h8C3EoG
— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) July 8, 2022
Happiest Birthday Dada @SGanguly99
Wishing you good health and serene birthday filled with endless blessings! pic.twitter.com/PSQi1bJsz7— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 8, 2022
Wishing @SGanguly99 a birthday filled with love and happiness ❤️ May all the joy that you have spread to others come back to you a hundredfold. Have a blessed year ahead Dada #HappyBirthdayDada
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) July 8, 2022
