There is a saying in cricket, "When life gives you a Greg Chappel, be a Sourav Ganguly". Well, that's a bit controversial line to start an article about Sourav Ganguly records. But, that was the life and career of Sourav Ganguly who rose against every odds and came back like a "Maharaj" (King, people from Kolkata calls him that) every time he is pushed down. Now, the current BCCI President who turned 49 made some significant moves on and off the field which changed Indian Cricket forever. To mark his birth anniversary we give you a list of Sourav Ganguly records that he made throughout his career.

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Sourav Ganguly records in tests

Sourav Ganguly made his test debut in 1996 against England at Lords' Cricket Ground. At that time his selection was questioned. The pundits called him the "East-Zone quota". But a typical Sourav Ganguly made sure all the questions were answered with the bat in hand. Not to forget his mild paced bowling. Let's take a look at Sourav Ganguly records in tests.

1. 62nd batsman in test cricket history to score a 100 on test debut.
2. 6th test batsman to score centuries in first two tests in his career.
3. Highest Test score by a left-handed Indian batsman (239).
4. Only test player to score a test century on debut and then score a zero in the last test innings.
5. Only player to average more than 40 throughout his test career and play more than 100 test matches.

Read Also: Cricket records: Most test matches as an umpire

Sourav Ganguly records in ODIs

Though Ganguly was India's one of the best in the longest format, it was the white ball that he dominated more than anyone. Even more than Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting. Sourav Ganguly scored more white-ball runs than any other player during his time. Here are some Sourav Ganguly records in ODIs-

1. He was the fatstest man to reach 6000, 7000, 8000, and 9000 ODI runs while playing.
2. Ganguly is the only cricketer to win four consecutive man of the match awards in One Day Internationals.
3. Highest individual score by any batsman in a ICC Champions Trophy final (117).
4. Sourav Ganguly was also the first player to hit 3 centuries in the history of ICC Champions Trophy.
5. Highest individual score in the ICC World Cup by any Indian player (183).
6. He is also the third fastest to score 10000 ODI runs (263 ing).
7. Most ODI runs by any left-handed Indian player (11363)
8. Second most ODI runs in a single calender year (1767 runs in 1999).
9. Second most ODI hundreds in a single calender year (7 ODI tons in 2000).
10. One of the ive cricketers to have achieved the unique treble. Ganguly has scored more than 10,000 runs, took more than 100 wickets & 100 catches in ODI cricket.
11. Second highest run-scorer in ODI cricketer among Indians and eigth in overall.
12. Sourav Ganguly also has the record of scoring most tons by an Indian batsman in a single world cup. ( 3 centuries in 2003 )

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Sourav Ganguly records as captain

Sourav Ganguly is sometimes called the "accidental captain". He had never captained any team before being the captain of the Indian Cricket team. He took over the captaincy post a tough time of "Azhar Saga". But as Kapil Dev said, that was the moment Indian cricket's future was made. Here are some of the records Sourav Ganguly made as a captain-

1. Till retirement, Sourav Ganguly had the most successfull India captain in away tests (11 wins). Virat Kohli later went past him.
2. Third most successful ODI captain among Indians (76 wins )
3. Ganguly is the only Indian skipper to win a Test series in Pakistan.
4. He took  the captaincy when India was ranked 8 in Test rankings, and left India second-ranked in test cricket, still a record for the biggest jump.

Read Also: Most successful captains in Test cricket

"Giving that Indian team a lot of steel, self-belief, character. Forget about winning at home. I think all sides are comfortable winning at home. But it's about going outside in Test conditions that you are not familiar with against the best in the world and having that fire, hunger and belief to win. And I think that's where Dada made the biggest difference to Indian cricket."

Kumar Sangakkara on Sourav Ganguly as captain

India created history in the first Test of the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy by achieving their largest-ever win in Australia. At Perth's Optus Stadium, a venue where the Australian team had never lost before, India registered a stunning victory. Led by Jasprit Bumrah’s Player of the Match (POTM) worthy 8/72 across the two innings, India defeated Australia by 295 runs, their biggest every victory by runs in the country (if innings wins not considered). 

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After achieving the POTM Award in Perth, Jasprit Bumrah became the fifth Indian captain who won POTM awards in Australia in Tests. Here's the other captain who achieved this feat on Australian soil.

1. Kapil Dev | Adelaide, 1985

The Haryana Hurricane Kapil Dev earned the POTM award following his spell of 8 for 106 in the first innings of the 1985 Adelaide Test, which set the stage for India to secure a draw against the home team. He was the first Indian captain who won POTM awards in Australia in Tests.

2. Sachin Tendulkar | Melbourne, 1999

In Melbourne in December 1999, when the weather was damp and batting a struggle, Australia rallied to 405 and India crumbled around Tendulkar. He scored his third ton on Australian soil since his twin shows in the 1991-92 series. His 116 off 191 balls (nine fours, one six) saw a follow-on-saving 43-run partnership with Anil Kumble (28 not out) and India ended on 238. The 167-run lead proved to be decisive as India lost the game by 180 runs, with Tendulkar’s POTM award coming as the visiting side’s consolation.

3. Sourav Ganguly | Brisbane, 2003

At the Gabba, India slipped from 61 for 0 to 62 for 3, in response to Australia's 323. In conditions that offered the pace and bounce that are the hallmark of Australian venues, Ganguly displayed remarkable judgement in his handling of the short delivery, and scored his first Test hundred in Australia.

Ganguly's 146-run stand with VVS Laxman (75) for the 5th wicket was notched up in 206 balls and his 144-run knock was studded with 18 hits to the fence. Such was the class of Ganguly's knock that it drew applause even from some of the Aussie players. This was India's first drawn series in Australia since 1981.

4. Ajinkya Rahane | Melbourne, 2021

After India were hammered in the first match in Adelaide Test series in 2021, skipper Kohli returned home for personal reasons and the responsibility fell on Rahane. Under Rahane's captaincy, India won the game by eight wickets and level the series 1-1. During this Rahane slammed his 12th Test hundred (112 off 223 balls). Rahane later led India to win the fourth and final Test in Brisbane to give his side a 2-1 series victory.

Also Read: Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Jasprit Bumrah breaks record with five-wicket haul in first test

5. Jasprit Bumrah | Perth, 2024

India played superb cricket over the span of the three and a half days in Perth, and defeated Australia by 295 runs, their biggest every victory by runs in the country (if innings wins not considered). 

Led by Jasprit Bumrah’s Player of the Match worthy 8/72 across the two innings at the Optus Stadium in Perth, India were rampant in the Test match right after their disappointing first innings on Day 1 when they folded for 150. They blew away Australia for just 104 in their first innings, and took a 46 runs lead. India scored 487/6d in the second innings and gave Australia a target of 534. The Australian top order collapsed once again in the second innings and the hosts could have repeated the first innings performance.

A stand at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata will soon be named after India's legendary fast bowler Jhulan Goswami. 

According to ICC, the Block B Gallery of Eden Gardens will be renamed in her honor. This stand will be inaugurated during the Indian women's team's first T20I match against England on January 22 next year.

Also Read: 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup stats: Most Wickets and Everything

Stands have also been built at Eden Gardens in the names of former Indian captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, former Indian cricketer Pankaj Roy, and former BCCI presidents Jagmohan Dalmiya and Biswanath Dutt.

Highest wicket-taker in women's ODI

Jhulan Goswami retired two years ago after an illustrious 20-year career with the Indian women's team. She was considered one of the best fast bowlers in women's cricket. Her career is still reflected in the impressive record that she maintains even after her retirement. Goswami holds the record for taking the highest number of wickets (255) in women's ODI.

Jhulan Goswami ended her career after appearing in 12 Tests, 204 ODIs and 68 T20Is and taking 355 wickets across all formats. In the women's Test format, Goswami has taken 44 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.36 and an economy of 2.02.

Goswami has 56 wickets to her name in the women's T20I format, with an average of 21.94 and an economy of 5.45. In the ODI format, she has taken 255 wickets in 204 matches at an average of 22.04.

Also Read: All the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup winners

Working as bowling coach of MI

The 41-year-old Goswami is currently working as the bowling coach and mentor of the Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League (WPL), which won the inaugural season of the league. Earlier this year, Goswami was the team mentor at the Women's Caribbean Premier League franchise Trinbago Knight Riders. 

After retirement, Goswami has worked as a mentor for the senior Bengal women's team and has also been involved in the Women's Premier League.

The upcoming edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to commence on November 22. The familiar foes India and Australia will lock horns for a five-match Test series. Throughout the years, the clashes between India and Australia have generated some unforgettable memories. The iconic duels, amazing displays with both bat and ball have enthralled the spectators across the globe. 

So before the start of the game, let's take a look at the players who have played the most games in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

1. Sachin Tendulkar | 34 Matches

Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the greatest ever cricketer in the world, has had his say as well during his playing days. Tendulkar had some outstanding periods against Australia both at home and away Test matches. He played 34 matches against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and piled up 3262 runs. In the year 1996, he played the first match of this trophy. He was last seen playing in 2013.

2. Rahul Dravid | 32 Matches

The Wall and India’s savior was a peril to the opposition. His resilience earned him the fabled nickname where he helped out his team in multiple tricky situations. Rahul Dravid has played 32 matches against Australia where he managed to score 2143 runs with 2 memorable tons to his name. He played his first match of this trophy in 1996. He was last seen playing in 2012.

3. VVS Laxman | 29 Matches

Among India’s highly dependable batsmen was VVS Laxman. The middle-order batsman showcased his gritty attitude against formidable foes when he noticed up 2434 runs from just 29 matches. He played his first match of this trophy in 1998. He was last seen playing in 2012. An unforgettable 281 knock against the Aussies remains the highlight as he displayed a healthy average, just shy of 50 with 6 tons to his name.

4. Ricky Ponting | 29 Matches

The former Australia Cricket Team captain, Ricky Ponting was the boogeyman for India. His aggressive style of batting and shrewd captaincy made him one of the greats of the game. Ponting played 29 matches against India where he raked up 2555 runs with a good average of 54.36 and notching up 8 tons to his name. He played his first match of this trophy in 1996. He was last seen playing in 2012.

5. Nathan Lyon | 26 Matches

The Australian off-spinner, Nathan Lyon tops the charts in scalping the most wickets in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. With 116 wickets from 26 matches, he is a class apart. Be it on slow-turning tracks in India or tricky bouncy pitches in Australia, Nathan Lyon has always been a dependable bowling asset for the Aussies.

6. Ishant Sharma | 25 Matches

Ishant Sharma is one of the best pacers for India in overseas Test matches. He has also got a great record against Australia in the BGT series. Ishant Sharma, who played 25 matches from the Indian side, is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in the Border Gavaskar Trophy with 59 scalps with the best figures 4/41. He played his first match of this trophy in 2008. He was last seen playing in 2018.

7. Sourav Ganguly | 24 Matches

Sourav Ganguly is often credited with changing the face of Indian cricket, instilling a sense of aggression and confidence in the team. He played 24 matches against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and piled up 1403 runs. In the year 1996, he played the first match of this trophy. He was last seen playing in 2008.

8. Virat Kohli | 24 matches

Virat Kohli remains a key player to watch as he heads into the 2024 Australia tour. Over his 24 matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli has scored 1,979 runs across 42 innings with a solid average of 48.26. His record includes eight centuries and five half-centuries.

A mega auction is to be held before the IPL 2025 season. This auction may take place in late November or early December this year.  But before that, all the 10 franchises will have to prepare and submit the list of their retained and released players. Its last date is tomorrow (31st October). 

Also Read: Delhi Capitals announce new Coaching Staff ahead of IPL 2025

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently issued new rules regarding retention. According to this, a franchise can retain maximum of 6 players. If a team retains less than 6 players, then in that case the franchise will get a chance to use the Right to Match card during the auction. 

Speculations have started even before the official list of retained players is revealed. If reports are to be believed, Gujarat Titans (GT) may release Mohammed Shami and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul can join the IPL 2025 auction pool.  

Let's take a look at which players all 10 franchises can retain.

Also Read: IPL 2025 auction: IPL 2025-27 player retention policy explained

IPL 2025 probable retention list

Gujarat Titans

• Shubman Gill
• Rashid Khan
• Sai Sudarshan
• Shahrukh Khan
• Rahul Tewatia (RTM)

Lucknow Super Giants

• Nicholas Pooran
• Mayank Yadav
• Ayush Badoni
• Ravi Bishnoi (RTM)

KL Rahul is expected to be included in the auction pool.

Mumbai Indians

• Rohit Sharma
• Hardik Pandya
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Tilak Varma

Chennai Super Kings

• MS Dhoni (Uncapped) 
• Ruturaj Gaikwad
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Rachin Ravindra (possibly)
• Matheesha Pathirana

Sunrisers Hyderabad

• Pat Cummins
• Heinrich Klaasen
• Abhishek Sharma
• Travis Head
• Abdul Samad

Royal Challengers Bangalore

• Virat Kohli
• Mohammed Siraj
• Yash Dayal (conditional)

Delhi Capitals

• Kuldeep Yadav
• Axar Patel
• Rishabh Pant (DC wants to retain him, but there is a lot of talk about his inclusion in the auction pool) 

Kolkata Knight Riders

• Sunil Narine
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz
• Rinku Singh
• Harshit Rana

There is a big question mark on Shreyas Iyer as many players are ahead of him in KKR's priority list, but talks have taken place between Iyer and the KKR management.

Punjab Kings

• Arshdeep Singh 

Instead of retaining all the players, the Right to Match (RTM) can also be used.

Rajasthan Royals

• Sanju Samson
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Riyan Parag

 There is a big question mark over Jos Buttar due to injuries, so it will be interesting to see what RR does. 

BCCI men's selection committee announced the squads for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and India's tour to South Africa. Abhimanyu Easwaran, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy were among the few new names announced in the squads.

India will play a four-match T20 I series against South Africa starting on 8th November till 15th November 2024. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team while Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson will be the senior players in the squad. Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Dayal, and Ramandeep Singh received their maiden T20I call-up.

Mayank Yadav and Shivam Dube were unavailable for the selection due to injuries. Meantime, Riyan Parag was sent to the BCCI Centre of Excellence to treat his his chronic right shoulder injury.

Indian squad for South Africa tour

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.

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For the high-profile Border-Gavaskar trophy, India named an 18-men squad with a few new names getting their maiden test call-up. Opener Abhimanyu Easwaran was rewarded for his excellent first-class form while Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy were called up as the pace bowling all-rounders. Kuldeep Yadav missed the selection due to his chronic left groin issue.

India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.

Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed

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