Sourav Ganguly, who is set to be named as the BCCI President, will be repeating a unique double in Indian cricket after 65 years.
Sourav Ganguly is set to become the next president of BCCI. The former Indian captain, who is currently the president of Cricket Association of Bengal, (CAB) will have to demit his post in September, 2020 as he will go into compulsory cooling-off period.
As Ganguly gears up for a new innings, he will also be repeating a rare double in the history of Indian cricket. When elected, the Indian cricketing great will become the only second captain to assume the role of BCCI president.
The first Indian captain to do so was Maharajkumar of Vizianagram or Vizzy, who became the president of the Indian board in 1956. 'Vizzy' led the Indian team in three Test matches in 1936.
Sunil Gavaskar assumed the presidential role on an interim basis in 2014, but was never appointed on a full-time basis.
Sourav Ganguly is widely considered as a pathbreaker in Indian cricket and is regarded as one of the most influential captains in the game's modern-day history. He led the team to famous Test series victory against Australia in 2001, and defied the odds to lift the Natwest Trophy in 2002. In 2003, India reached the final of the World Cup under his captaincy, where the team agonizingly fell short to Australia.
Ganguly, affectionately called 'Dada', is also credited with bringing a revolution in the Indian team in the early 2000s. Many players who went on to have successful careers with the Indian team made their debut under the captaincy of 'Dada'. Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, and MS Dhoni are some of the players who were given their first game by Sourav Ganguly.
"Obviously, it's a great feeling as I have played for the country and captained the country," Ganguly told PTI after the development.
"And I am taking over at a time when BCCI has not been in greatest of position for the last three years. Its image has got hampered quite a lot. It's a great opportunity for me to do something good."
