Sourav Ganguly was inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame on Wednesday (8 July). With this honour, Ganguly became the 12th Indian cricketer to be inducted into the prestigious ICC Hall of Fame.
The ICC officially announced Ganguly's induction on his birthday, recognising his contribution to international cricket during a career that spanned nearly 16 years. He represented India from 1992 to 2008 and is now part of the list of cricketers recognised for their impact on the game.
Following the announcement, Ganguly expressed his happiness through social media. He thanked the International Cricket Council (ICC) and ICC Chairman Jay Shah, describing the induction as one of the greatest honours of his cricket career.
Ganguly said it was a matter of pride and honour to become part of the ICC Hall of Fame alongside many of the game's great players. He also said that joining the distinguished list of Indian cricketers who have left a lasting mark on world cricket was a special achievement.
The ICC Hall of Fame is regarded as one of cricket's highest individual honours. It recognises players who have shaped the history of international cricket through their performances, leadership and contributions to the sport.
With his induction, Ganguly joins the list of Indian cricketers already included in the ICC Hall of Fame: Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi, Vinoo Mankad, Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Diana Edulji, Neetu David and MS Dhoni.
Ganguly made his international debut in 1992 and represented India until 2008. During his career, he played 113 Test matches and 311 One-Day Internationals.
In Test cricket, he scored 7,212 runs and also claimed 32 wickets. In One-Day Internationals, he accumulated 11,363 runs and took 100 wickets.
Ganguly assumed the Indian captaincy in 2000 during a challenging period for Indian cricket. Under his leadership, players including Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni received opportunities to represent India at the international level.
India also began producing competitive performances overseas under his captaincy. The Indian team reached the final of the 2003 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup under Ganguly's leadership.
