Champions Trophy's Thunder Warrior: Sourav Ganguly

In the semifinal against South Africa, Sourav produced what would easily be his second favourite innings of a glorious career – an unbeaten 141 against the likes of Donald, Pollock, Kallis and Klusener. His knock was laced with 11 fours and 6 huge sixes – all struck in his trademark style: right foot out of the way, shoulders opening up and immaculate hand-eye coordination. The bowling attack of the defending champions had never been such brutally assaulted before in this tournament. Yet Ganguly did it. His purpose was not only to steer India to a huge score, but also to play the game on equal terms against his more-fancied opponents: unflinching in the face of hostile bowling, unyielding when confronted by pressure, and to fight till the last ball. A decade ago, this would have been unthinkable. But with the world stepping into the new millennium, that had changed. And Dada had heralded this change – no longer would his team roll over against the top sides of the world. He would go on to score another hundred in the final against NZ, a game his side lost thanks to all-rounder Chris Cairns’s brilliance.

In the next edition in 2002, he unveiled another talented young batsman at the opening slot – Virender Sehwag. The quarter-final against England remains etched in my mind as the Bengal Tiger and his protege went about their task of chasing down 269. The English had witnessed the strength of Team India before – in the historic final of the 2002 Natwest Series. As Sehwag demolished the England bowling with his free-flowing strokeplay, Ganguly was content to play second fiddle. He changed gears once the youngster was dismissed, and raced to yet another hundred, finishing things with a trademark six and a boundary. Once again, the English had been tamed, and Dada had masterminded their downfall. He did that through a combination of cricketing skill and astute leadership. These two traits stood him in good stead for the remainder of his career.

There will no longer be a Champions Trophy tournament in the future. Fans no longer see the “Maharaja” take the field in India colours, play those expansive shots that characterized his batting throughout his career, or anger opposition captains with his delay in arriving for the toss. Nevertheless, if there is one player who has made a mark on the ‘Mini World Cup’, it is Sourav Chandidas Ganguly – the Thunder Warrior. He taught them how to fight till the end, and gave the people new hope in the team.

It is said that the West was built on legends. The Champions Trophy editions of 2000 and 2002, however, were built on one single legend: Dada. A fighter, a true leader, and a fierce competitor – a true Royal Bengal Tiger!