"Batted with grace. Led with passion." - Wishes galore for Sourav Ganguly as "Dada" turns 50

Former Team India captain and current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly is celebrating his 50th birthday on Friday (July 8). The “Dada” of Indian cricket is widely recognized as the man who led Indian cricket out of turmoil following the match-fixing controversy that rocked the country and world cricket as a whole in 2000.

He was also a match-winner with the bat, especially in the one-day format. Ganguly, known for his silken strokeplay, ended his ODI career with 11363 runs from 311 matches at an average of 41.02 with 22 hundreds and 72 fifties. In Tests, he contributed 7212 runs from 113 games at an average of 42.17 with 16 hundreds and 35 half-centuries.

Ganguly polarized opinions in world cricket. But for those who have played under him, he has been a mentor and inspiration. Many of them took to social media to wish their “Dada” as he completed a special half-century. Here’s a compilation of Twitter reactions on Ganguly’s 50th birthday:

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Sourav Ganguly’s standout achievements as a cricketer

The former left-handed batter scored a century on Test debut at Lord’s. His 131 remains one of the most talked about hundreds by an overseas player at the hallowed cricket ground in England. Ganguly followed up his debut hundred with another century in the subsequent Test match at Trent Bridge.

Apart from having scored the most runs by an Indian left-handed batter, he also possesses the record of having registered the highest individual score by an Indian in a 50-over World Cup match - 183 against Sri Lanka in Taunton.

He is third on the list of Indian batters who have scored the most runs in ODIs. Ganguly and Tendulkar hold the record for having scored the most runs as an opening pair in one-dayers - 6609. Under "Dada", the Men in Blue ended as runners-up during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

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