Dada

Sourav Ganguly – I might write an epic biography of his, and yet it might not suffice. He has been one of the most passionate, and splendid leaders that Indian Cricket has had.

Even the great Sachin Tendulkar refused captaincy attributing it to denting his performance on field. Ganguly does not take “No” for an answer. He led team India to places they have never been. I am not one to keep records of his achievements, but I am sure that he has reached many a milestone untouched.

Not only did he lead by example, he went out of his way to identify new talent. He was the one who found Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, and so many others who are part of the current world-cup-winning-squad. He played a vital role in grooming these youngsters into the respectable people they are today.

Millions in India love him and adore him, for to them he was ‘Dada’ – the man who started a new chapter in Indian cricket. The aggression and intensity that Ganguly brought is one his trademarks. He never does mentally check out, every sesond of the game(even if he is in the dressing room). Remember the Natwest trophy final, 2002? That’s how much zealous he is. If Dhoni is Captain cool, Ganguly is Captain Charisma!

So many things have been said about him. And so many arguments have been made about him. Nevertheless, nobody can deny that he is and forever will be a legend in Indian Cricket.

A man so great in caliber did not leave the cricketing arena in style. He was dropped, rather than him announce his retirement. Die-hard Ganguly fans were enraged, and argued that the board was unfair to him. True, that he could have made a few more wonderful knocks. However, the sad truth is he is not the same Ganguly he was a decade ago.

Ganguly gave the KKR the chance to ridicule him, and KKR did just that. Now there are rumors that Kochi want him because their sweetheart Jayawardena has to go back to Srilanka. Is Ganguly a replacement? Just like how Nehra was replaced by Sreesanth? Kochi and KKR can go to hell.

I felt happy when Gilchrist retired from International Cricket. Would not everyone consider Gilly a threat, even today? However, he retired more than three years ago, when he was in prime form. He did that because he knew it was time. He knew that there were a few more good knocks left in him, but it was not worth the risk.

Gilchrist will forever be known as the guy who changed the definition of a wicket-keeper. A guy who did not linger after his time. A guy who was not pushed into retirement. A guy whose last knock was one of his best knocks. A guy who went out with grace!

That is how I wanted Ganguly to be. Sadly, that is not the case. I hope the Die-hard (or so they call themselves) Ganguly fans would stop putting him under so much pressure. His time is done, it is time we move on and just appreciate the man for what he once was.