On July 8th, 2018, Sourav Ganguly turned 46 years old. He’s a famous cricketer from India, especially known for his time as captain of the Indian cricket team from 2000 to 2005. Fans lovingly call him ‘Dada’. He played a key role in bringing Indian cricket back to prominence on the world stage.
During his career, Ganguly scored a lot of runs in both One Day International (ODI) matches and Test matches. He even led India to the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa. He’s considered one of the best Indian batsmen ever.
His leadership style was different from others, and many players like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Ashish Nehra credit him for their success.
Let’s look at 5 memorable innings from Sourav Ganguly’s ODI career.
1. 183 vs Sri Lanka, 1999
Sourav Ganguly played amazingly in a World Cup match against Sri Lanka. He scored 183 runs from 158 balls, helping India reach a big total of 373 runs in Taunton. Ganguly hit 17 fours and 7 sixes, dominating the Sri Lankan bowlers like Muttiah Muralidharan and Chaminda Vaas.
Rahul Dravid also played well, scoring 145 runs while supporting Ganguly. This is still the highest score by an Indian in the World Cup. Even though India didn’t advance to the next stage, Ganguly’s fantastic performance will be remembered for a long time.
This is also Ganguly’s highest score in One Day Internationals (ODIs), and he was named the best player of the match in Taunton.
2. 117 vs New Zealand, 2000
Let’s talk about the 2000 Champions Trophy. It was only the second time this tournament happened, and Kenya was the host. Sourav Ganguly led India in this tournament, which was his first time leading in an ICC tournament.
India did well, making it to the final after beating Australia and South Africa in earlier matches. The final took place at the Gymkhana club ground in Nairobi, where India faced New Zealand.
Ganguly played amazingly in the final, scoring 117 runs and helping India reach a good score of 264/6. Even though India lost to New Zealand, Ganguly’s performance was the best part of the final. He ended the tournament as the player who scored the most runs.
3. 141 vs Pakistan, 1999
India and Pakistan have a big rivalry. They have a lot of history between them, and people expect exciting matches whenever they play. Ganguly, an Indian cricket player, has a special history against Pakistan. In 1999, India, led by Sachin Tendulkar, played a series with Pakistan and Australia.
In the game, India batted first and scored 267 runs. Sourav Ganguly played amazingly, scoring 141 runs by himself. He faced the Pakistani bowlers alone and they found it hard to stop him. Even though he got out in the end, the crowd in Adelaide cheered for him. When India and Pakistan play, it’s a big deal, so this innings by Ganguly is even more important.
4. 111 vs Kenya, 2003
In 2003, India played really well in the World Cup in South Africa. They beat every team they faced easily. In the semi-finals, they played against Kenya, a team that wasn’t expected to make it so far. Saurav Ganguly played amazingly and scored 111 runs, helping India win.
India batted first and scored 270 runs, with Ganguly’s century being a big part of it. They won against Kenya and made it to the final, but lost to Australia.
This was Ganguly’s last time scoring a century in a One Day International (ODI) match. It was a really special one because it helped India get to the World Cup final
5. 141* vs South Africa, 2000
Saurav Ganguly played really well in a big cricket tournament in Kenya called the Champions Trophy. India won against Australia, then played South Africa. Ganguly scored 141 runs without getting out, helping India get a high score. South Africa couldn’t stop him. Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar started batting first and played all 50 overs. India scored 295 runs. South Africa, led by Shaun Pollock, couldn’t do much, and India won easily by 95 runs. India reached the final of the tournament.
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