'Dhoni became Thala coz of Dada' - Fans wish Sourav Ganguly on his 51st birthday

Sourav Ganguly (Source: Twitter)

Sourav Ganguly, popularly known as Dada among the fans, has turned 51 today. The Kolkata-born cricketer was one of the biggest names in the sport at his peak. The Southpaw was considered one of the best Indian batters of his time. But the legacy of Ganguly has more to do with his leadership than just batting. The god of offside is regarded as one of the greatest Indian captains in the sport. For his time, Ganguly was considered aggressive as both captain and batter.

Ganguly batted in several positions for India. In Tests, the former Indian captain batted mostly at number 5, although he batted at number 3, 4, and 6 for a good sample. Although the great cricketer batted at number 3 and 4, he was mostly an opener in ODIs. With the ball, Ganguly was a handy medium pacer who could often break partnerships and help the main bowlers to get some rest.

His legacy as a batter and a captain

Ganguly played 113 Test matches and scored 7212 runs at an average of 42.18, including 16 centuries. In ODIs, Ganguly played 311 matches and scored a whopping 11363 runs at an average of 41.02, including 22 hundred. As a bowler, Ganguly picked 32 wickets in Tests and 100 wickets in ODIs. Ganguly also has the unique feat of winning 4 consecutive Player of the Match awards in ODIs. As a batter, Ganguly scored a hundred in the Champions Trophy final and ODI World Cup semifinal.

But the biggest legacy of Ganguly is his leadership. When the Indian team was undergoing a transition phase, corruption-plagued the sport in India. The audience was disappointed with the team. Ganguly built a team that played with dignity, and self-pride and was honest to its fans. Under Ganguly, India won the famous Natwest Series in 2002 and became the joint champion in the Champions Trophy 2002. In the 2003 World Cup, India made it to the finals of the tournament, which is also probably the biggest achievement of Ganguly as a leader.

Here's how the fans wished Ganguly on his birthday:

Legend#HappyBirthdayDADA

— BappiDa53680342 (@da53680342) July 8, 2023

Man behind Indian cricket team traformation 🏌‍♂️

— . (@sportyjayas) July 8, 2023

Happy birthday Dada of Indian cricket.
I remember dialog in hindi movie. That was, 'Kisne ki hai ungali , koun hai hamare bich Ganguly' . It was hilarious.

— Aditya G (@adig123) July 8, 2023

In my childhood I have seen this guy on TV and asked my dad who is he?
Dad told he is “dada”
Then came to know about his Lords act.
Then to till he is my motivation, he is on of the key people bringing Team India to the top of table.
Happy birthday Dada.

— The Cricket Man (@ICC_cricket_man) July 8, 2023

Dhoni became Thala coz of Dada

— CricXP (@CricXP) July 8, 2023

Better than credit stealer Thala

— whocaresanyway (@der_fuhrerrr_) July 8, 2023

And the ex president who transformed the indian cricket💀

— Boredandhungry3.0 (@Shadeshading) July 8, 2023

Worst president forever 😂

— HUMAN😎 (@vk_kingdom12345) July 8, 2023

Dream for many to score century in knockouts only world class player thing

— Akhilesh Verma (@ve76559) July 8, 2023

Saurav Ganguly is the best captain, India has ever had.

— Jayendran Menon (@Dayamaitreya) July 8, 2023