Happy birthday Sourav Ganguly: Celebs choose their greatest ‘Dada’ moments on field

From his courageous decisions as a captain to the greatest moments on field — cricket fanatics from Tollywood reveal why birthday boy Sourav Ganguly is the Prince of Kolkata.

Abir can still recall the little things that added up to transform him into one of the best captains in Indian cricket. "For example, his decision to elevate Virender Sehwag to the opening slot following the explosive Delhi batman’s debut as a middle-order batsman proved to be a match-winner. Sehwag later became one of the best openers in world cricket. Once again, it was a masterstroke from Dada," says a proud Abir.

Nusrat was so young then, but she still remembers that moment when Sourav handed the ball to Sachin Tendulkar against Australia at Eden Gardens in 2001. "Venkatpathy Raju was expensive as the Australian batsmen were hammering him and Sachin picked up the all-important wickets of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden. It turned the match around. When such a great decision maker is again leading Indian cricket as an administrator, things will definitely change for the better," recalls the actor.

Prosenjit still remembers how Sourav Ganguly had kept faith and retained Rahul Dravid in Team India by switching him to the wicket keeper’s slot, "It was an amazing balancing act and one that benefitted the team in the long run, as Dravid has always been a terrific batsman. It also gave India the chance to play an extra batsman in limited overs cricket. I’m sure he’ll take many historic decisions as BCCI chairman for the betterment of Indian cricket."

Rahul feels that the iconic Natwest Series victory was a crescendo point. "It was not just a moment when Dada had taken off his shirt at Lord’s balcony. We see Lord’s as the Mecca of cricket. But like an English cricketer has the right to take off his shirt in celebration at Wankhede in Mumbai, why can’t an Indian do the same in Lord’s? That time, Syed Kirmani and many other former cricketers had slammed Sourav Ganguly. But this one single act had led to many positive results for Indian cricket later. The confidence the cricketers achieved was clearly visible when Dhoni hit the last ball six to win the 2011 World Cup. My father, brother and I watched that final at Wankhede. Many viewed Dada’s act as an arrogance in 2002, but Indian cricketers had gained confidence and flair from him," said an excited Rahul.

The actor-director can still recall Dada’s century at the Lord’s distinctly. "I was in Class VIII or IX at that time. What hit me hard was the first off-drive he hit for four a boundary. It meant business from the very beginning. He came down the pitch when, what I remember, India had already lost two-four wickets. He smashed the ball against a top class English bowler. How masterfully Dada, only a young boy then, handled the anxiety of his failure in 1992 and came back like a true champion. It was the making of the aura that we all now witness around him. That innings had kick-started a new era in Indian cricket and Bengal not to mention," shares Parambrata.