New Delhi: Former cricketers Manoj Tiwary and Munaf Patel extended wishes to former India captain Sourav Ganguly on his 52nd birthday.
Ganguly, who was regarded as the ‘God of off-side’ by former teammate Rahul Dravid, made many spectacular contributions in the field of cricket and continues to do so as Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals’ Director of Cricket.
“You are, you were and you will always be an inspiration. Love you Dada and wishing you a very happy birthday,” Tiwary wrote on X.
While extending his wishes, Patel heaped praise on Ganguly for his role in the development of Indian cricket.
“A big hand of this guy in development of #IndianCricketTeam where we are today. A very #HAPPYBIRTHDAY legend @SGanguly99. Wishing you healthy life ahead #Dada,” Patel wrote on X.
During his illustrious career, Ganguly led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during his time in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The IPL franchise wished their former captain and captioned their post on X, “Maharaja.
Dada. The Prince of Kolkata. Happy Birthday, Sourav Ganguly.”
Even though he was a batter who could play with both grace and surgical accuracy, his career had come to a grinding halt until he struck a brilliant hundred on his debut at Lord’s in 1996. He was elevated to the top of the ODI order later that year, and he and Sachin Tendulkar together constituted one of the most potent opening combinations in history.
Ganguly was noted for his distinct leadership style throughout his time on the pitch. In the summer of 1996, he made his Test debut against England, earning the nickname ‘Dada’. He quickly made headlines after scoring a century in his first Test at Lord’s and the ‘Prince of Kolkata’ then went on to smash a ton in the second Test, becoming the third batter in history to make a hundred in each of his first two innings.