Sourav Ganguly taught Indian cricket a fearless and aggressive brand of cricket!
If anyone embodies the spirit of "Dadagiri," it's India's very own Dada, Sourav Ganguly. Known for his fearless demeanour, Ganguly is a towering figure in Indian cricket who cannot be easily intimidated or restrained. He revolutionised Indian cricket and provided countless cherished moments. However, his career was also marked by numerous incidents, both on and off the field. As captain, Ganguly led with a no-nonsense attitude, making his mark with his bold leadership. In this special article, we celebrate this lion-hearted member of the Indian team by looking at five moments when Sourav Ganguly lost his temper on the cricket field.
Dada-giri perfectly describes Sourav Ganguly’s iconic celebration at Lord's in 2002. After India defeated England in the NatWest Trophy final, chasing down 326, Ganguly stripped off his shirt and waved it triumphantly from the Lord’s balcony. This dramatic act was a payback for Andrew Flintoff, who had celebrated similarly at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium 13 months earlier, disrespecting Indian sentiments. Ganguly defended his actions, stating, "If Lord’s is their mecca, Wankhede is ours." John Wright later revealed that Harbhajan Singh had planned a similar celebration for the entire team, only to be stopped by Rahul Dravid.
In 2007, during the sixth ODI of the India-England series, England set a target of 317. Openers Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar gave India a flying start, reaching 55 runs in the first nine overs. Tensions rose when Ganguly's shot off Stuart Broad found Owais Shah at short cover, leading to a heated exchange between Broad and Ganguly, prompting umpire Aleem Dar to intervene. In the following over, Broad bowled aggressively, but Ganguly responded emphatically by hitting him for a massive six. It was classic Dada, letting his bat do the talking!
Dada getting ready to attack
Slow over-rates are a persistent issue for captains, and Sourav Ganguly faced the consequences in 2005 when he was banned for six matches during an ODI series against Pakistan. His suspension extended to the first two matches of the subsequent Tri-Series. Over time, Ganguly became more mindful of overrates. During one 2005 match against Pakistan, he got angry with Mohammad Yousuf for delaying the game for treatment. Ganguly had animated conversations with the umpire and reminded Yousuf that he was wasting time.
In 2002, during an ODI series against Zimbabwe, the first ODI saw Zimbabwe nearing a famous win, needing just five runs from four balls with one wicket in hand. The twelfth man, Pommie Mbangwa, ran onto the field with drinks and possibly some coaching advice. Facing a potential shock defeat, an already angry Sourav Ganguly grew even more furious, ordering Mbangwa to leave the field immediately, which he did. This incident is one of the five notable moments when Ganguly got brutally angry on the cricket field.
No one can forget the heated verbal battle between Sourav Ganguly and Russell Arnold during the 2002 Champions Trophy final against Sri Lanka. The ‘Bengal Tiger’ clashed with Arnold, who was running on the pitch to benefit his spinners in the next inning. After Arnold cut the last ball of Kumble’s 40th over and ran for a single, Rahul Dravid noticed the footmarks and alerted Ganguly. Furious, Ganguly, fielding at cover, charged towards Arnold for a heated exchange. Even when Umpire Shepherd intervened, Ganguly didn't hold back, giving Shepherd a piece of his mind as well.
Sourav Ganguly has long retired. His brand of fearless and aggressive cricket was carried through in the generation of players that followed him.
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