Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, popularly known as ‘Dada’, is celebrating his birthday today as he turns 47. He is the man who changed Indian cricket. He is the aggressive captain in the Indian cricket history. His legacy is unmatched. He taught the team to dominate the proceedings and to win in overseas.
He instilled pride, confidence and strength among other Indian players and brought out the best of their abilities. This goes to show that how Ganguly was at his best in his times. What Virat Kohli is to this team what Sourav Ganguly was to his. It’s Ganguly effect.
Let’s take a look at the epic quotes on Sourav Ganguly by Cricket Legends:
Sourav is a great captain and we should be proud of such a leader. –Kapil Dev
Sourav’s greatest strength is his mind. He is hardworking – not only in the nets but also mentally. He bounces back. – Sachin Tendulkar
On the offside, first there is God, then Sourav Ganguly. –Rahul Dravid
We have a young talented side. They have found a good captain in Sourav Ganguly.–Indian cricketing legend Mustaq Ali
He is a wonderful batsman and definitely the best captain that India can have. So far he has surpassed my expectations and continues to do so. You rarely come across people like Sourav, he is different, he is special, there can be just one Sourav Ganguly.– Arun Lal
Sourav’s greatest asset is his ability to communicate. He is a naturally very confident person. He encourages his team, is a great motivator and a born captain. He is not the media’s blue-eyed boy because he is a very straightforward person, who never minces his words, instead, he talks in a no-nonsense manner to the press. He shares an extremely healthy rapport with his teammates. His leadership skills are also vouched for by the youngsters in the team. He has a phenomenal brand value. He’s the new-age Indian, an aggressive go-getter, full of self-belief, determination.–Ravi Shastri
Ever since Sourav became the captain, I do not feel like a youngster in the team any more. Everybody is treated equally and Sourav himself is extremely approachable and a pillar of strength. Sourav stood by me when I was struggling. I owe a great deal to him for standing by me at the most important time. I can’t express my gratitude to him in words.–Harbhajan Singh
The Bengal tiger always has his tail up, ready to devour the opposition.–Navjot Singh Sidhu
Sourav is really the best captain India has ever had.–Sunil Gavaskar
Besides football, the only other game I ever took interests in was basketball, but never cricket. Sourav is the sole reason why I am a cricket lover today. He has worked very hard to reach the position he is in today and that makes him really admirable.–Best-known footballer and captain of Indian Football team, Baichung Bhutia
I captained Sourav in the East Zone. He was a majestic player. I have not seen anybody play a cover drive as well as Sourav. He is very busy, nevertheless, he is so approachable that one will always find the youngsters of the team crowding around him and discussing cricket and swapping strategies.–Former domestic cricketer Saba Karim
I have known Ganguly as a quiet lad, who always respected the seniors and lent an ear to any advice that came from them. This was the quality that impressed me most in this determined cricketer and I was not averse to giving him a break as early as possible.–Mohammed Azharuddin
Sourav’s best quality is that he has the ability to remain unperturbed even when he faces severe criticism.–Javagal Srinath
The great thing about Sourav is that he doesn’t let any criticism bother him. He is his own man, and an intensely determined one. He always speaks his mind. His batting is a unique mix of touch and power. When he plays those drives, it’s all touch, all elegance. Timing is his gift. He has the ability to not only clear the ropes but even the stadium. Against spin, my god, he is really a murderer! One thing I’d love to have from his game is his the ability to clear the ropes. As a captain, he is always encouraging his batsmen, reminding them of past successes. Sourav is among the best one-day players I have seen.–VVS Laxman
There is nothing wrong with his captaincy. He has marshalled his troops quite well and moulded the side into a winning outfit in the last few years. –Syed Kirmani
“Outsiders don’t understand the feeling of our people, the kind of respect we have for these players. I think that he made a comeback and proved himself all over again made it clear that he should not have been thrown out in the first place. He made a point and proved people wrong,” –Kapil Dev
Sourav has given them [the Indian team] that confidence and ability to target teams or individuals at key times.–John Buchanan, Australian coach
I’ve worked with Sourav and I enjoy his company. I found him to be likeable and a very nice fellow. It will be good to renew the acquaintance.–Greg Chappell
I’ve learnt so much from Sourav. He has played 15 years of cricket. Sitting down with him and getting to know phenomenal.- David Hussey
He’s the type of bloke you would want to have on your side. When you see an Indian side with Ganguly in the line-up, you know it’s game on. You don’t have to like or dislike him. You have to respect him.- Steve Waugh
Sourav has got a huge role to play in Indian cricket and its success. I hope certainly that he gets back in there because he is a hell of a good player and he still has got too much to offer to Indian cricket.- Allan Donald (when dada was out of the team)
He has got a lot of runs and we have a huge respect for him.- Graeme Smith
I have seen Ganguly bat and he can make a difference.– Graeme Pollock
He lends credibility to the batting order.- Gary Kirsten
Sourav Ganguly has been an excellent captain, his record speaks for himself. I found him to be a tough competitor and every Indian should feel proud of Sourav.–Former England captain Nasser Hussain
Ganguly is the new Steve Waugh of mind games. –Ian Healy
Whatever I have seen of his captaincy, I liked it.- Arjuna Ranatunga, former Sri Lankan skipper
Ganguly is a very good leader. His return to the field brings a spring in the steps of the Indians. He is a great player- Ricky Ponting
A quality batsman. There are a couple of things I like about his batting. He is right up there on my list, as far as offside play goes. The other thing he excels at is his use of feet to spinners. He keeps his head down, has nice footwork and a lovely long follow-through. I really enjoy it when he comes down the track to spinners. In fact, you can safely bet that it would go for a six. — Ian Chappell
Sourav has done an excellent job of balancing his captaincy with his personal game. He looks like he is enjoying being captain. And effectively, he has lightened the burden on Sachin Tendulkar.-Dave Whatmore
He is a brilliant player and definitely a force to reckon with! –Wasim Akram
He’s very competitive and knows what he wants. He has developed toughness in character and that is what is needed for Indian cricket. Ganguly has proved to be one of the best captains. He has now acquired great leadership qualities.–Steve Waugh
His biggest asset is his freakish sense of timing. When playing his big shots, he could be very dangerous.–Shaun Pollock
The Prince of Calcutta. Two of his special qualities are his intelligence and articulation, both of which have helped him immensely in the world of contemporary cricket. — Geoffrey Boycott
