Sourav Ganguly's 3 best IPL knocks
One of the most decorated captains of all time and arguably the best India has produced, Sourav Ganguly celebrated his 51st birthday on Saturday (July 8, 2023). Wishes poured in from every quarter for the country's beloved 'Dada'.
Former cricketers and his ardent fans took to their social media handles to shower praise on the man who shaped the rise of Indian cricket during the early 2000s.
Handed over the Indian captaincy after the match-fixing saga back in 2000, and a spate of poor results, Ganguly resurrected the Indian team. Under him, the side played with a new-found self-confidence and fashioned memorable victories in both formats of the international game at the time.
He led India to the final of the Champions Trophy in 2000 and returned as joint winners in the 2002 edition. His charismatic figure on the field and his decision-making skills made him the cult hero he is today.
During the early part of his captaincy tenure, Ganguly was India's most prolific batter in the ODI format, along with Tendulkar. The duo formed one of the most potent opening combinations of all time in the 50-over format.
Making his Test debut at Lords in 1996, Ganguly went on to establish himself in the Indian side both in Tests and ODIs. In 1998, he became the first and only cricketer till date to win four Man of the Match trophies on the bounce.
After taking charge of the Indian team, the southpaw produced some magnificent performances and went on to finish his ODI career with more than 10,000 runs along with 22 centuries.
Having retired from international cricket in 2008, Ganguly went on to play competitive cricket for a few more years.
He was picked as the icon player of the Kolkata Knight Riders for the inaugural edition of the IPL. Ganguly led his city-based franchise in the first three seasons, but KKR failed to qualify for the semi-final even once.
He came back as the captain of the now-defunct Pune Warriors India, but couldn't quite make the impact he would have hoped for, either as a captain or as a batter.
Ganguly could never really make a consistent impression as a T20 batter, but he did show some of glimpses of his best form during the three-year association with KKR.
That said, let us have a look at 3 best IPL knocks from Sourav Ganguly:
86 vs Kings XI Punjab in 2008 IPL
On this particular day against the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Ganguly played one of the finest knocks in a run chase for KKR. He took them over the finish line in the final over of the match. Riding on a brilliant half-century from Kumar Sangakkara, Punjab posted a competitive 174 on the board.
KKR got off to a flying start courtesy of their two openers, Salman Butt and Sourav Ganguly. A 45-run partnership came to an end in the 6th over and all of a sudden, KKR lost three quick wickets for virtually nothing.
The captain needed to play the waiting game and look for someone to provide support. With the score reading 106/6 in the 16th over, Ganguly found an unlikely ally in Umar Gul.
The former Pakistan speedster smoked 3 sixes and a four during his quickfire 24 off 11 deliveries, which turned the match on its head. KKR still needed 15 off the final over when Sourav Ganguly produced the goods for his franchise.
Sourav carted Irfan Pathan for a whipped six over the square leg region before thumping him back over his head for another maximum to bring the equation down to 1 required off 3 deliveries. The skipper then nudged it around for a single to put smiles on the faces of KKR fans.
91 vs Deccan Chargers in 2008 IPL
Sourav Ganguly was due for runs in the inaugural edition of the IPL and finally managed to make an impact in the 32nd match of the competition.
Playing against the Deccan Chargers, Ganguly scored a stroke-filled 91 off 57 deliveries which set the platform for a 23-run win for KKR.
Batting first, the Knight Riders posted a formidable score of 204 in their allotted 20 overs on the back of a splendid showing from their skipper. After losing opener Salman Butt early, Ganguly took it upon himself to do the bulk of the scoring for his team.
Laced with his trademark cover drives, punches through the off side, along with his down-the-ground shots out of the stadium, the innings had the attributes of a Ganguly masterclass. It was the partnership with David Hussey which put KKR in a commanding position.
Hussey scored a quickfire half-century and it was Laxmi Ratan Shukla who finished off with a flourish, which eventually took the score over the 200-run mark.
Deccan Chargers never really looked in the chase, losing wickets at regular intervals. Venugopal Rao's knock of 71 took them close, but they eventually fell short by 23 runs.
88 vs Deccan Chargers in 2010 IPL
The Deccan Chargers were yet again at the receiving end of a Sourav Ganguly special. It was in 2010 when the former KKR skipper smashed a 54-ball 88 to lay the platform for a convincing win at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The Knight Riders batted first and posted a competitive score of 181/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Ganguly seemed to be the lone ranger for KKR as the top order couldn't quite make an impact.
The likes of Chris Gayle, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Manoj Tiwary departed cheaply and KKR needed their skipper to rise to the occasion.
Ganguly struck some delightful shots in the powerplay and then took his time in the middle overs before launching towards the latter half of the innings. He targeted the spinners and Pragyan Ojha was in for some special treatment.
Sourav Ganguly struck 9 fours and 5 sixes during his brilliant knock. The Deccan Chargers faltered in the run chase and despite useful knocks from Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Symonds, fell short of the target by 24 runs.