Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is set to become the 12th Indian to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, adding another landmark to a career that transformed Indian cricket both on and off the field.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to make the formal announcement on July 11 after the conclusion of its annual conference. Ganguly will join an elite list of cricketers whose contributions have left a lasting impact on the game.
The captain who rebuilt Indian cricket
When Ganguly assumed the captaincy in 2000, Indian cricket was recovering from the match-fixing scandal that had shaken the sport. The team needed belief.
Ganguly responded by building a fearless side that was willing to challenge the world’s best, especially in overseas conditions where India had traditionally struggled.
He placed immense faith in young players, backing Virender Sehwag as an opener, trusting Harbhajan Singh to spearhead the attack against Australia, and persisting with talents such as Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Mohammad Kaif. The culture of backing young cricketers would later benefit players like MS Dhoni as well.
A defining era
Under Ganguly’s leadership, India shared the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, reached the 2003 ODI World Cup final, drew a Test series in England, won a historic Test series in Pakistan in 2004 and famously ended Australia’s 16-match winning streak in Kolkata after one of the greatest comebacks in Test history.
His personal record was equally impressive. Ganguly scored 7,212 runs in 113 Tests, including 16 centuries. In 311 ODIs, he amassed 11,363 runs, struck 22 hundreds and also picked up 132 wickets with his medium pace, finishing as one of India’s greatest white-ball batters.
A legacy beyond numbers
Many still remember Ganguly waving his shirt from the Lord’s balcony after India’s dramatic NatWest Trophy triumph in 2002. Others remember the confidence with which he took on Steve Waugh’s dominant Australian side. Those moments came to symbolise a new Indian team that no longer feared playing abroad or challenging the world’s strongest opponents.
After retirement, Ganguly continued serving Indian cricket as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal and later as BCCI president, guiding the board through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He currently serves as the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal.
His induction into the ICC Hall of Fame recognises not only an outstanding batter and one of India’s most successful captains but also a leader who helped redefine Indian cricket’s identity. By becoming the 12th Indian to receive the honour, Ganguly joins a distinguished list that includes Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni and several other legends of the game.
