Sourav Ganguly Turns 52: A look At Dada's Illustrious Career In Indian Team

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, who was regarded as 'God of off-side' by former India head coach and his teammate Rahul Dravid, made many spectacular contributions in the field of cricket and continues to do so as Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals' Director of Cricket. As the left-handed batter turned 52 today on Monday, let's turn some pages of his almost two-decade-long career. Ganguly's ability to polarise opinion led to one of the most fascinating dramas in Indian cricket.

However, there is no denying that he was India's most successful Test captain, leading a winning team out of a group of gifted players and that he remains one of the best one-day batters in history. Even though he was a batter who could play with both grace and surgical accuracy, his career had come to a grinding halt until he struck a brilliant hundred on his debut at Lord's in 1996. He was elevated to the top of the ODI order later that year, and he and Sachin Tendulkar together constituted one of the most potent opening combinations in history.

Ganguly was noted for his distinct leadership style throughout his time on the pitch. In the summer of 1996, he made his Test debut against England, earning the nickname 'Dada'. He quickly made headlines after scoring a century in his first Test at Lord's and the 'Prince of Kolkata' then went on to smash a ton in the second Test, becoming the third batter in history to make a hundred in each of his first two innings.

In 2000, the Team India camp got trapped in a match-fixing scandal. Ganguly was then appointed the captain of the side, where he started grooming new talent.

Ganguly led India to the finals of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy for the first time. Another Team India