Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly voted for T20 cricket and its rise globally at the trophy unveil event of Bengal Pro T20 League in Kolkata on Friday. Sourav Ganguly, who was the chief guest at the event alongside former Indian Women's Cricket team Jhulan Goswami, spoke on the importance of T20 leagues and said that everyone must adapt to the change that is happening in cricket globally.

Remembering his debut season for Bengal, Sourav spoke about how he won the Ranji Trophy just by playing one game and then went on to represent the country at the highest level. He also memorized his debut test match when he scored a stunning ton on his debut at the Lord's Cricket Ground. 

But, the former BCCI President believe that cricket has changed over the years and everyone should change according to the game as well. 

"When I see cricket going around the world, when I see how cricket has transformed from an era where Test cricket was most important for someone like me who played his first test in England in 1996, and getting a hundred on test debut and then, when I see a young Abishek Porel stepping out and whacking Mitchell Starc over cover for a six, you really sit down and think that has definitely changed," Ganguly said.

Not in Men's cricket, the T20 leagues have changed women's cricket as well, Sourav believes. "It's not just Abishek Porel. When I see a young Richa Ghosh put the ball in the stands at the Firoz Shah Kotla in a Women's IPL final, you realize that the game has changed," he added.

"It is about power. It is about how far you fit and how long you hit," he expressed. 

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). 

Also Read: Highest catches dropped percentages since 2011 (Min 100 chances) | Virat tops the list among batters

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.

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.

Ahead of this year’s IPL mega auction, JSW-GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals announced the appointment of their new coaching staff. Former India cricketers Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao have joined the franchise as Head Coach (IPL) and Director of Cricket (IPL) respectively. Badani will be replacing Ricky Ponting while Venugopal Rao will be replacing Sourav Ganguly.

Mr Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Chairman & Co-owner, of Delhi Capitals said, "We are delighted to welcome Hemang and Venu to Delhi Capitals. Both have been an integral part of our team for a long time, and we're excited to have them on board in a different role. With their proven track record as coaches, we're confident that their expertise will be invaluable in helping us achieve our objectives and drive success for Delhi Capitals."

“My association with the franchise has been a long-standing one, and I am thankful for the trust our owners have placed in me by offering me this role,” said Rao. “I look forward to this new challenge ahead of a new IPL cycle”.

Speaking on the occasion, Badani said, “It’s my absolute honour to be joining Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners for trusting me with the job. With the mega auction around the corner, my job, in collaboration with the rest of our coaching staff, is cut out. I can’t wait to get started.”

Welcoming the new coaching staff, DC CEO Sunil Gupta said, “Hemang and Venu have both been a part of the Capitals family and are well-versed with our philosophy. We’re looking forward to working with them and achieving great things for Delhi Capitals.”

Venugopal Rao played for DC in the past

Venugopal Rao, who played 16 ODIs for India, was a part of the 2009 IPL winning squad with Deccan Chargers and played 3 seasons of the IPL with Delhi Daredevils (2011-13). He has also been part of the Dubai Capitals family, serving as a mentor in the inaugural season and Director of Cricket in the next.

Read Also | Exclusive: Inspired by Easwaran's work ethic, a more mature Abishek Porel wants to score big hundreds for Bengal in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 

Badani, who represented India in 4 Tests and 40 ODIs, brings an impressive coaching profile across leagues. Between 2021-23, he worked with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL as a fielding coach and a batting coach in successive seasons. 

He also coached the Jaffna Kings franchise to two consecutive Lankan Premier League titles. Badani also worked as a batting coach with the title-winning Sunrisers Eastern Cape side in the inaugural edition of the SA20. The 47-year-old was also Head Coach of the Dubai Capitals side that reached this year’s ILT20 final.

In the ongoing India versus Bangladesh second test, the record says that Virat Kohli is just 35 runs short of achieving the 27000 run mark. In International cricket, Sachin Tendulkar (34,357), Kumar Sangakkara (28,016), and Ricky Ponting (27,483) are the only three batters to have crossed the 27,000-run mark in international cricket so far.

Virat Kohli has 26,965 runs to his name in 534 matches played so far.

Here is a list of the top 5 Indian Batters with the most runs in international cricket.

5. Sourav Ganguly. |  18,433 runs

Former Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly is at the 5th rank with 18,433 international runs. He has played 421 matches (485 innings) and has an average of 41.42 runs. He scored 38 tons with 106 half-centuries.

He played 113 tests and has 7212 runs with an average of 42.17. His test record has 16 hundreds and 35 half centuries.

For a long 17 years, Gangully sealed his position in the fourth rank unless the present Indian captain came, Earlier this year, Rohit Sharma surpassed Ganguly to take the fourth spot.

4. Rohit Sharma | 19,246* runs

It is a batter’s delight and a bowler’s nightmare when a long partnership is tough to dismiss. Since the advent of cricket, teams and players have scripted several milestones, and one of them is stitching high-scoring partnerships. Although individual batting performance matters a lot in cricket, long partnerships put more pressure on the opposition team as batsmen from both ends take turns scoring runs. Long partnerships also force the opposition team to change their strategy again and again. So let's take a look at the most partnership runs for India in all formats.

Also Read: Most matches played as captain

Most Partnership runs for India in all formats

TEST

• 6920 - Sachin/Dravid: Considered to be one of the most dangerous Indian batting pairs, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar hold the record for the highest overall partnership runs by a pair in Test cricket. Dravid and Tendulkar amassed 6,920 runs in partnerships in Test matches with 20 centuries and 29 fifties. In ODI cricket, the Indian pair scored a total of 4,117 runs with 11 century stands and 14 fifty partnerships. 
• 4412 - Sehwag/Gambhir: Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag still own the highest partnership run for India in Test cricket by an opening pair. Together, they have aggregated 4,412 runs at 52.52 for the first wicket. Overall, this is the second-highest runs tally (partnership) for India after Tendulkar-Dravid
• 4173 - Sachin/Ganguly: In ODIs, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were no match, but even in Tests, the two have put on memorable partnerships batting together. Tallying a total of 4173 runs batting together in Tests, Sachin and Sourav have put on 12 century-plus stands, with a highest partnership of 281.

Also Read: Most Runs for India in a Test Series

ODI

• 8227 - Sachin/Ganguly: Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, two giants of Indian cricket, created an iconic opening partnership that spanned from 1992 to 2007. Over the course of 176 innings, they amassed 8227 runs together with 26 centuries and 29 fifties at an average of 47.55. 
• 5280 - Kohli/Rohit: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have been a formidable force since 2010, with their partnership still going strong in 2024. In 95 innings, they have aggregated 5280 runs at an astonishing average of 58.66. Their partnership includes 18 centuries and 17 fifties, contributing significantly to India's ODI success.
• 5193 - Rohit/Dhawan: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have been a force to be reckoned with in the cricketing world from 2011 to 2022. In 117 innings, they scored an impressive 5193 runs with an average of 45.15. Their partnership included 18 centuries and 15 fifties.

Also Read: Most Runs for India as a Captain

T20I

• 1897 - Rohit/Rahul: Rohit Sharman added 1897 partnership runs with KL Rahul, the third-highest aggregate in the format for any wicket. Rohit and Rahul have put on 5 centuries and 10 half-centuries, with a highest partnership of 165.
• 1743 - Rohit/Dhawan: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan is one of the most successful opening pairs for India in the limited-overs format. Considering only the T20 Format, the pair has been by far the best for India, having added 1743 runs for the first wicket. The two have partnered in 52 innings with each other and have made four hundred-plus partnerships, the highest being 160. 
• 1350 - Rohit/Kohli: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma batted together 42 times in T20Is, adding 1350 runs at an average of 32.14 with five 50 and three 100-run partnerships in the format. If Sharma personified effortless elegance with the bat in hand, Kohli batted with a never-say-die attitude, pulling victories out of nowhere.