Meerut in Uttar Pradesh is commonly known as the sports capital of India because the city is one of the primary manufacturing regions for sports goods in the country.
But if there was an award for the most sports-crazy Indian city, Kolkata in West Bengal would win it hands down. Home to India’s largest and the world’s second largest cricket and football stadiums, the city’s love for sports can be seen in its sporting arenas, felt in its outburst of passion, and heard in its evening ‘adda over some chaai, samosas and Dada (Sourav Ganguly).
Be it football or cricket, the city religiously follows both the games. And thus it is no surprise that it has produced some great sportsmen. Here’s a look at the top 5 cricketers from West Bengal.
#1 Pankaj Roy
Pankaj Roy, born May 31, 1928, was a legendary India and Bengal opening batsman. Best remembered for his record opening partnership of 413 runs alongside Vinoo Mankad, the Calcutta-born batsman played 43 Tests for India.
It took 52 years for their world class record to be broken when in 2008 South African pair Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith knit together 415 runs for the opening partnership against Bangladesh. His career of several ups and downs began with a bang when he scored a century on his debut in 1946-47.
Roy was one of the best Indian openers in the era before Sunil Gavaskar. The batsman had the most runs among the Indian openers (2,220 runs at 31.71 with 4 hundreds from 41 Tests) and still ranks fifth among all-time Indian openers in terms of runs.
Pankaj Roy was part of the selection committee which picked the squad for the 1983 World Cup. Roy was also the Sheriff of Kolkata at the time of his demise in February 2001.
#2 Sourav Ganguly
The Prince of Kolkata, the God of the off-side, Sourav Ganguly has been one of the most successful Indian captains. Affectionately called Dada, Ganguly holds a very special place in the chronicles of Indian cricket. He is remembered for his proficiency on the off side, his excellent partnership with Sachin Tendulkar in ODI cricket and also his controversy with Greg Chappell.
He made his international debut in 1992 against the West Indies and the last game was against Australia in 2008. Ganguly finished his career as India’s most successful captain, who led the team to the World Cup finals of 2003 but couldn’t win that trophy. Nevertheless, his 11,000 ODI runs are more than enough to place him as one of India’s greatest ever players.
#3 Mohammed Shami
Shami moved to West Bengal at the age 17 to make it big in international cricket. He seemed to be on track to take the bowling mantle from Zaheer Khan but a sudden injury put his progress on halt in 2015. However, the unfortunate incident did not stop Shami from becoming India's leading fast bowler in the 2015 World Cup. Battling a knee injury, he ended up with 17 wickets in the tournament.
His exploits continued to break records and In 2013, he became the second-fastest Indian to take 50 ODI wickets. In October 2013, during Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series, the fast bowler made his Test debut against the West Indies. He responded to the selectors’ trust with a brilliant 9-wicket haul on debut.
Shami also had a stint with Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL before Delhi Daredevils acquired him in 2014 for INR 4.25 crores.
#4 Laxmi Ratan Shukla
Laxmi Ratan Shukla was drafted into the national squad for the 1998-99 Asian Test Championship match against Sri Lanka. He was all of 17 and had taken 3 for 55 and 1 for 32 against Pakistan for the Indian Board President’s XI. However, Ashish Nehra was flown in at the last moment and made his Test debut instead.
A month later he made his ODI debut. He played three ODIs in all and opened the bowling in two of them. Managing a solitary wicket, his economy rate read 4.94, but Shukla never got going with bat. The Howrah born never got a chance to play in the longest format of the game either.
Shukla’s legacy, however, lays in the domestic scenes, where he played for nearly two decades, scoring 6,217 runs at an average 36 and taking 172 wickets at a strike rate of 35 in First-class cricket. Shukla reached his magnum opus against Assam in 2010-11 when he crossed 250 and added 417 for the sixth wicket along with Wriddhiman Saha. This remains a record stand for any wicket for Bengal.
In the IPL, Shukla represented the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Daredevils and finished with an economy of 7.11 and strike rate of 121. Given his prowess in the game’s shortest version, it is surprising he was never considered for T20Is.
#5 Manoj Tiwary
Manoj Tiwary’s injuries constantly interfered with his international career, but his First-Class career was phenomenal. Selected for the tour to Bangladesh in 2007 after a brilliant domestic season, he injured himself without playing any matches.
Tiwary was later drafted in to make his ODI debut against Australia in their backyard in 2008-09, but failed to make the best of the opportunity, and had to wait for another three- years for a second chance. However, a very strong Indian middle-order interfered with Manoj's progress in the Indian team.
When he finally got a chance, Manoj made full use of it. The player from Howrah scored a century against the West Indies at Chennai in 2011-12, but again, the unfortunate man had to wait another six months to play his next match, in which he scored 65.
In domestic cricket, Manoj is the backbone of the Bengal’s middle-order. In KKR’s IPL title in 2012, Tiwary played a key role. An exceptional fielder and catcher, he has also played as a leg-spinner who has a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in ODI to his name.
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