SOURAVISM........More than Cricketism: SOURAV GANGULY : Personal Touch

Sunday, June 1, 2008

SOURAV GANGULY : Personal Touch

Full name: Sourav Chandidas Ganguly

Date of birth: 08 July 1973

Age: 34 years

Place of birth: Calcutta (now Kolkata), India

Speaks: English, Hindi, and Bengali fluently

Schools attended:St. Xavier's, Calcutta

Degree: MBA, St. Xavier's

Zodiac sign: Cancer

Occupation: Former captain and player of the Indian team

Major Teams:India, ACC Asian XI,Bengal,Kolkatta knightriders, Lancashire and Glamorgan (England)

ODI debut: India vs. West Indies at Brisbane, World Series, 1991/1992

Test debut: India vs. England at Lord's, 2nd Test, 1996

Batting style: Left hand bat

Bowling style: Right arm medium

Height: 5'11''

Signature:

Family: Parents - Chandidas and Nirupa Ganguly

Brother - Snehashish Ganguly

Wife - Dona Roy

Children - Daughter Sana (born Nov 3, 2001)

Greatest influences: Dad, Debu Mitra (coach), and cricketers Ravi Shashtri and Azharuddin

Address: 2/6 Biren Roy Road

Behala, Kolkata - 700 008

West Bengal, India

Martial status: Happily married to Dona Roy

Shoe size: 10

Car: Red Mercedes convertible

Mentor: Father, Chandidas Ganguly

Favorite sport: Cricket and Soccer

Favorite cricketers: Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Steve Waugh

Favorite sportswoman: Steffi Graff

Favorite actor: Amitabh Bachchan, SRK, Abhishek Bachchan, and Soumitra Chatterjee

Favorite actress: Aishwariya Rai and Raveena Tandon

Favorite Soccer player: Brazillian soccer player, Pele

Favorite Tennis player: Pete Sampras and Leander Paes

Favorite movie: Sholay (Hindi)

Favorite foods: Biryani, Alu Posto and Chingri Macher Malaikari (Bengali dishes), Black Dal

Favorite holiday: London and Darjeeling

Favorite city: Calcutta and London

Favorite author: Satyajit Ray

Favorite car: Mercedes convertible

Cricket philosophy: Look at someone who has a lot to learn. Be different and prove your critics wrong

Attitude towards Cricket: Never say die

Philosophy in life: Be a good human being

Most relaxing thing to do: Watch his wife do a dance routine

Best moment: Daughter Sana's birth

Hates most about himself: Gets excited too quickly

Most embarrassing moment: Dancing with Hrithik Roshan for the Hero Honda advertisement

Impressed with: Steve Waugh's never-say-die attitude, and Rahul Dravid's attitude to life

Most valued cricket gear: First Test cap and first bat

Most prized possession: Daughter Sana

Batting strategy: Take ten runs at a time

Famous Quote By Him:"It's always very easy to give up. All you've to say is 'I Quit'. But the tough part is to carry on."

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IMPORTANCE OF SOURAV

Well, I can write pages about the importance of Sourav Ganguly. Sourav is not only the most elegant left hander India has ever produced, but also, the most successful Indian captain till date, who has brought us many glorious victories,by his agressive leadership. He is one of the best lefties of recent times, and his shots on the off side, and his cover drives are simply a wonder to look at. He is an useful medium pacer who is capable of breaking partnerships.But the thing which I find most outstanding about the "Bengal Tiger" is his never say die atitude and undaunted courage.He has been wrongfully sacked from the team time and again, but he still had the will to continue. He taught us that perseverance is essential for success, and his comeback to the national team was truly inspiring. Sourav has the guts to protest against wrongs, which often led him to many controversies. But inspite that none was able to restrain him,because the prince of Kolkata is a charismatic, and a committed cricketer. There are many importances of Sourav Ganguly, but to me the most important of all is that he is our dear dada, who has taught us the most valuable lesson in life-to fight and not to surrender no matter how tough the job may be.

Sourav Ganguly - In Brief

Sourav Ganguly, the name itself encapsulates a thousand stories, starts a hundred debatable topics, reminds you of a story that holds more twists and turns than any soap opera. Dada, as he is affectionately called, captained Team India from 2000 to 2005, and during that tenure led India to incredible success including the finals of the 2003 World Cup. In a career laden with achievements and controversy, Saurav Ganguly has occupied the centre stage in Indian cricket for over a decade. But more than anything, its his batting that really captivates any fan.One of the cleanest strikers and sweetest timers of the ball, Saurav Ganguly is an exceptional player of the off side. So much so, that his successor as captain, Rahul Dravid, once commented, On the off side, first there is God, then there is Ganguly. There isn’t an attack that he has not mercilessly slaughtered, no gap in the field that he hasn ot found. And he has amassed 18000 runs in the process, and his partnerships with Tendulkar are the stuff of legends. The fastest to 6000, 7000, 8000 and 9000 runs in ODIs, the Prince of Calcutta has many records to his credit. But more than the statistics, it is the sheer joy of watching the Bengal tiger in all his glory, that is worth mentioning. Just bring on the off-spinner in front of Ganguly in form, and he pounces on the chance. He steps to the pitch of the ball and hits a clean blow straight out of the ground, a shot which has now become his trademark.The rise of Ganguly to prominence has been as exciting as his batting. Cricket was not his first love, and he only took to the sport as a pastime. He used his brothers equipment, who was a lefty, so he turned into a left handed batsman as well. And when he started excelling in the sport, further drama followed in the Ganguly household as his inclusion into the Ranji squad was at the cost of his brother’s place. He didn’t let them down however, and was soon selected into the national squad. And he flopped badly to spend the next few years in anonymity. But not being one to step back ever, he finally found a place in the Indian squad in the 96 tour of England. What followed was a century on debut and in his second match. Saurav Ganguly had made a mark on world cricket and was here to stay. The following years saw him rise to the top of world cricket, with an average of 40+ and many memorable knocks like the 183 against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup. What added to Ganguly’s utility was his handy work with the ball as well. A gentle medium pacer, he has hundred ODI wickets and many feel he could have done a lot better in that department.An aggressive character on field, he was finally made captain of team India in 2000. And he was just the kind of Captain that a youthful side trying to emerge from the shadows of match fixing needed. His fire and determination spread through the team and he led team India to unprecedented success. Wins in away test series, a run of 13 consecutive finals of tournaments, Champoions trophy and World Cup finals followed. The image of a jubilant Ganguly swinging his shirt from the Lords balcony as India won the Natwest Trophy is a part of cricketing folklore. He presented the team with character and a will to fight, a will that often led him into trouble with match officials and kept him wrapped in controversy always.But his personal form declined over the years and he was often criticized for being unable to play the short ball. After many failures, and public fall outs with coach Greg Chappell, he was unceremoniously dropped from the side and his career looked over.But yet again, after a 15 month lay off, the Prince of Calcutta roared back to grab a man of the series award in his return series in Feb 07,and a beautiful double century against pakistan in dec 2007. A Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee, Ganguly is known to be a quiet man with nerves of steel. A devoted husband and a religious person, his marriage with wife Dona is no less eventful than any Hindi movie.He once again looks ready to shine, to mark his territory and as always, and to provide a solid answer to all those who ever doubted his abilities. No matter how he fairs, one thing is for certain, that there is a lot many chapters to be written in the amazing tale of our beloved Dadaa.