Sourav Ganguly - One In A Million

For most, Sourav Ganguly is only a great cricketer who is currently captaining Pune Warriors; for some, he is their favourite cricketer who has redefined ‘comeback’; but for me, he is an inspiration, an idol and “one in a million” guy ,who through his performances taught many how to get through toughest phases of life.

An year after ‘Dada’ was presented the Padma Shri – one of India’s highest awards – by the then President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, he was kicked out of the national team following a run of poor performances in 2005. To some, the words ‘kicked out’ may read too strong to describe the situation of his drop, but seeing how he was ill-treated by the BCCI, to me, they are just an understatement. A few months later, the Indian coach then, Greg Chappell (seen as the main reason for his departure) decided to rub it in by publicly making a statement that ‘Ganguly deserved a good farewell’.

These events not only made my blood boil, but got me against supporting the Indian cricket team. Then, in 2006, he did that Pepsi advertisement ‘Apne Dada Di Baat Sunenge’, and as he was mocked by both – audiences and media. I had eyes full of tears even contemplating what lay ahead for the man whom I had idolized ever since I was ten. His career really seemed to have hit a dead-end. But he always had something extra, and you could see that every single time he walked onto the field, whether it was playing for India or any other team that he has ever played for. His refusal to carry drinks on the field for Bengal in the early part of his career is an example of that.

And so, I expected him to be back, but he superseded my expectations by roaring like the royal Bengal tiger and making a comeback second to none, going on to not only drill his name in the hearts of the fans that had always saluted him, but also regaining respect from those glory hunters who had cut off all connections with him since the time his form had worsened. He also carved an impression in the hearts of all his doubters and critics by proving his mettle.

He went back to playing Ranji Trophy and featured in every match for Bengal, playing under Rohan Gavaskar’s captaincy, which underlined his desire. With time, slowly and gradually, he discovered ‘his touch’, and as the runs started to flow, it only seemed like a matter of time before he would make that all-awaited comeback. With Greg Chappell still in charge, the ‘God of offside’ was picked for the tour of South Africa in December 2006. With Ganguly having a history of not being the greatest against the bouncing ball (at least since the time when he was hit on the ribs by Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar), the critics were chuckling quietly, “Ah … He’s going to get buried on the bouncy South African track” and more or less, everything seemed set up for a great fall. But as it turned out, all those remarks fired up the warrior within him, and he made his critics look silly with a gutsy 87 against Rest of South Africa in a four-day tour match.

Soon, he was playing his first Test match in over an year. The match that was played in Johannesburg against South Africa, which was labelled ‘Ganguly’s comeback game’, saw Dada score an invaluable 51 to help India to victory. Now, on one hand, Ganguly was piling up runs, whereas on the other, Greg Chappell was getting more and more scrutinized by the media for some of his decisions. After India’s poor showing in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, Chappell resigned as the Indian coach and Ganguly went on to become the highest run-getter for India in both Test and ODI cricket in 2007, scoring 1106 Test runs at an average of 61.44 and 1240 One-day runs at an average of 44.28.

Ganguly’s comeback and Chappell’s omission clearly underlined one of Darwin’s theories – survival of the fittest. Now, Sourav Ganguly had nothing left to prove to anyone. He could proudly say that he had not only been there and done it, but he also came back to do it. The comeback was indeed complete! I couldn’t help but think of Dada – his spirit, his ability to fight, his will to be recognized and his strength in standing up and being counted. He was a champion.

In 2008, he announced that the series against Australia would be his final one in International cricket. The Maharaja played in every game of the four-Test series and amassed 324 runs at an average of 54.00, retiring when his form was at its absolute pinnacle. He fought like a warrior, played like a prince and retired as a King, with grace and with unmatched respect. In the process, he showcased every little boy that has ever dreamed of playing for India, what sort of fight must be put forward to play for the nation, and what it exactly means to walk out on to the cricket field wearing the Indian chakra on your head.

Looking at his attributes, leadership quality, connection and contribution to the Indian cricket, he needs to be put into the national fold straight away; if not as a player, definitely as a coach/manager. This is for BCCI: sack Duncan Fletcher and appoint ‘Sir Sourav’ as the Indian coach. Home or away, he will guide us to glory.

Right from 2005, I don’t even know if I have ever even missed a single innings of his. Whether it was him playing for Bengal, Lancashire, Glamorgan, Northamptonshire, Kolkata Knight Riders, PWI or India, I was there to see how he was doing. If I wasn’t watching it live, I was following the game over the internet. To me, he is a legend in his own league and it’s just magical what affect a cricketer can have on you. Just following and idolizing Sourav Ganguly, who played with his heart on his sleeve, made me get through a patch that looked like a dead-end and since then, a Ganguly in me has lived on.

Sourav Ganguly…Champion? For sure.

Sourav Ganguly…Legend? Definitely.

Sourav Ganguly…Superhero? Without a doubt.

Sourav Ganguly… Life-changer? What do you say?