The Prince of Kolkata…

Sourav Ganguly turns 36 today. Let’s wish him a very Happy birthday and pray for his success in all his future endeavors!!!

I’ve juz gathered some facts about him and posted in my blog to pay a tribute to ma favorite cricketer and the best ever Test captain of the Indian team. He was the most passionate, shrewdest, intuitive and the most determined captain with the highest success rate till date. Under his captaincy, the Indian team achieved remarkable heights, including the Test series win against Australia at home in 2001, reaching the World Cup Final in 2003 and winning both the one-day and Test series in Pakistan the next year. He was un-partial and a very supportive leader and pushed young players like Yuvraj and Kaif to perform better(once Sourav remarked that Kaif is his favourite coz he handles the bat very well even when he s asked to play at 7^th position!! :)) It’s always been a treat to the eyes to watch the left-hand batsman on field.His 5-year reign as India's most successful skipper came to an end sumtim in 2005 and also had to face a lot of cheap and unwanted criticism from sum critics and ex-players coz of the Greg Chappell issue and his bad form then.
He was tagged as an arrogant person and wat nt!! Maybe his form was bad then but still he deserved a better treatment and respect! He juz sucked up everytin, never fought back at those idiotic people and made his back into the team after a year for the series in South Africa in 2006-2007 and proved the critics wrong!! “His comeback proves how strong mentally he is. It's not easy to make a comeback but he proved the critics wrong by his fight back with a bang", the former skipper Azaruddin himself has remarked about Dada.

Facts about Sourav…

• Sourav Chandidas Ganguly made his entry into this world on July 08, 1973 in Calcutta.
• A typical Cancerian, Sourav was very mischievous as a child.
• He is a natural right hander and does everything, except bat with his right hand.
• Sourav learned to play with his left hand from his elder brother, Snehasish, from whom he learned to play cricket.
• Sourav was 1st selected to the Bengal Ranji team at the expense of his brother.

• Sourav earns around 7 crores a year just from endorsements and charges 1 crore for each advertisement!
  

• Sourav’s first sports passion was not cricket. In fact, it was football and he admits, that even today, he’d rather watch football than cricket on TV.

• The first thing he does after checking into a hotel room is place a photo of his wife and daughter on the side table.
  

• Sourav is a very religious person and prays before every match.

• There is an apartment complex in Kolkata, India which is named after Sourav. It is called the ‘Sourav Housing Complex'.

• Ganguly was appointed the Captain of the Indian cricket team in February, 2000.

• Saurav Ganguly has the distinction of being one of the few players in the World to Score a century and take 4 wickets in the same match. (ODI)

• Saurav Ganguly along with Tendulkar forms the 4th Best Opening Pair in the History of One-day cricket.

• Saurav Ganguly and Tendulkar were involved in a World Record Opening Partnership of 252.

Quotes by Sourav….

I would like to be remembered as someone who has taken Indian cricket forward…someone who tried his best every time when he went out to play for the country.

- Dada

I wouldn't ever do it again. I am a very mild person, not really expressive.

- On chances of waving his shirt again

If I am not in a good mood, I will keep to myself. I am terribly sensitive. Over the years, after I got hammered, I have hardened. I still react explosively especially when something wrong happens to anyone, even to fellow cricketers. I hate people treating others badly. But if I do not like someone, I will quietly keep away.

– On how he is as a person

Nobody is a born captain. Most of the time, I have gone on instinct.

- When his captaincy was criticized.

I know what I am. People can label me as they like but it upsets me to hear the word arrogant being used against me. I am not arrogant. Not at all.

- On being called arrogant.

He’s a champion at everything. I really admire him. I am very impressed with the way he approaches life.

- On Rahul Dravid.

The thing I like most about Sachin is his intensity. After being in the game for so long, he still has the same desire to do well for India in any international match. I tell you what, this man is a legend.

- On Sachin Tendulkar.