Sourav Ganguly inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, widely regarded as one of the game's most influential leaders and one of India's finest left-handed batters, has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, honouring his remarkable legacy in world cricket.
Ganguly's 16-year career, which included over 18,000 international runs, was reflected with ICC Hall of Fame induction.
"I am honoured to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. To have my name included among the cricket's greatest players will remain one of my most cherished moments. Representing India and playing along with several greats of the game has been a privilege, and to now be recognised in this way is truly special," Ganguly said as per the ICC website.
"I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Mr Jay Shah for this huge honour, which I consider the highest recognition a cricketer can receive. This game has given me a lot, and I hope to continue to serve the game in the years to come. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my near and dear ones for their support over the years," he added.
Over a remarkable 16-year international career, Ganguly scored more than 18,000 runs across formats and reshaped Indian cricket with his bold leadership, turning the team into a formidable force overseas and laying the foundation for one of its most successful eras.
In the summer of 1996, he made his Test debut against England, earning the nickname 'Dada'. He quickly made headlines after scoring a century in his first Test at Lord's, and the 'Prince of Kolkata' then went on to smash a ton in the second Test, becoming the third batter in history to make a hundred in each of his first two innings.
In 2000, the Team India camp got trapped in a match-fixing scandal. Ganguly was then appointed the captain of the side, where he started grooming new talent. Ganguly led India to the finals of the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy for the first time.
Another Team India milestone came in 2001 when the Ganguly-led side defeated Australia 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.The Australian team, captained by Steve Waugh, challenged India to follow on in the series, but VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid staged one of the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket history.
The former India captain's most memorable moment was definitely when he stripped off his shirt on the Lord's balcony when India famously beat England from the jaws of defeat in the Natwest Trophy finals in 2002.
Ganguly also led India to the World Cup finals in 2003, where they narrowly lost to Australia in the championship game. In 2004, he also oversaw an ODI and Test series in Pakistan.
The Test series triumph was India's first on Pakistani soil.'Dada' also had a memorable spat with then-coach Greg Chappell in 2005-6, after the 'Prince of Kolkata' was left out of the Team India squad.
He last played a Test against Australia in Nagpur in 2008. He played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) until 2012, when he retired from domestic cricket.
'Dada' played 113 Tests and 311 One-Day Internationals for India. In his international career, the left-handed batsman amassed 18,575 runs across all formats. In the long format, Sourav played 113 matches. He scored 7,212 runs at an average of 42.17.
He smashed 16 centuries and 35 half-centuries in 188 innings, with the best score of 239. He smashed a century on his Test debut against England at Lord's in 1996.
As a captain, he led India in 49 matches. Out of this, India won 21 matches, lost 13 and drew 15 matches. With a win percentage of 42.85, he is one of the most successful captains for India.
Ganguly has also represented India in 311 ODIs, scoring 11,363 runs at an average of 41.02. He has scored 22 centuries and 72 half-centuries in 300 innings, with the best score of 183. He led India to 147 ODI matches, winning 76, losing 66 and five failed to produce results. In ODIs, he had a win percentage of 51.70. (ANI)