How ‘DADA’ Re-Invented Indian Cricket And Shaped A New Generation Of World-Beaters News24 –

In the late 90s, Indian cricket was struggling. The match-fixing scandal had shaken fans’ faith, senior players were under scrutiny, and the team lacked both direction and fight on foreign soil. Indian cricket needed a new voice – someone fearless, passionate, and willing to take bold calls. That voice came in the form of Bengal’s Pride Sourav Ganguly.

When Ganguly became captain in 2000, he didn’t just take charge of a team, he took responsibility for an entire generation of young Indian cricketers. With his leadership, India not only regained its pride but also laid the foundation for future dominance in world cricket.

So, the question is what were the qualities of Sourav Ganguly which made him one of the ‘Game-Changer’ in Indian cricket? On his birthday, let’s take a look at his attributes:

Fearless Leadership

One of Ganguly’s biggest strengths was his attitude, now a days people referring Virat Kohli as an aggressive captain but Dada was on next level. He didn’t care about reputations or big names. Whether India was playing Australia in Brisbane or England at Lord’s, Ganguly believed that India belonged on the same stage as the best. He gave back as good as he got famously waving his shirt at the Lord’s balcony in 2002 after India won the NatWest Series. That wasn’t just a celebration; it was a message: India would no longer be timid.

He taught the team to believe, to fight, and most importantly, to never be afraid of losing.

Backing Young Talent

Perhaps the most lasting impact of Ganguly’s captaincy was his eye for young talent. He spotted raw potential and gave them the space and time to grow. Without Ganguly, we might not have seen the careers of: Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and of course, MS Dhoni, whom Ganguly gave a chance early in his career, laying the path for India’s future World Cup-winning captain.

These weren’t easy decisions. Many of these players were inconsistent early on. But Ganguly backed them, gave them confidence, and stood by them through their failures – something young players often lacked in earlier generations.

Changing the Dressing Room Culture

Before Ganguly, Indian cricket had a culture of hierarchy and caution. Seniors called the shots, juniors often stayed quiet. Ganguly broke that. He treated everyone equally and built a dressing room where performance mattered more than seniority.

He also brought fitness and professionalism to the forefront. The Indian team started playing with a new intensity, whether at home or abroad. That culture shift became the backbone of India’s rise under later captains like Dhoni and Kohli.

Belief In Abroad

Winning at home was one thing. But Ganguly made Indian cricket believe it could win overseas. Under him, India drew a Test series in England (2002), beat Pakistan in Pakistan (2004), and came close to winning in Australia (2003-04). That famous 2001 Test series win against Australia at home especially the Kolkata Test where India followed on and still won was the turning point. Ganguly’s India refused to give up.

Dada may not have won a World Cup as captain, but he built the team that eventually did. His leadership redefined Indian cricket not through trophies alone, but by building a culture of aggression, unity, and fearlessness.

In many ways, the dominance that India enjoys today in Tests, ODIs, and T20s can be traced back to the seeds Ganguly planted in the early 2000s. “He was more than just a captain. He was a revolution.”