He was destined to make an illustrious comeback
The teen-ager was selected to represent the Indian cricket team in Australia from a very weak cricketing state. But that was a disastrous tour. India lost four out of the five Test Matches. In ODIs also, the performance of the team was terribly bad.The teen-ager got his India cap in ODI, but he could not perform in the match. He was made the 12-th man in the next match, but got embroiled in unnecessary controversies with a very senior and influential cricketer of the team. He was thrown out unceremoniously from the team.
Everyone thought that his international cricketing career was over. But Fate thought differently. After six long years, the young man was in England on some family business assignment. He was also playing minor County matches in England.
The Indian cricket team was touring England at that time. The captain of the team had a heated exchange with a senior member. The senior cricketer left the team and went back to India. The young man, who had been playing minor County matches got an unexpected call to play for India.
Fate smiled on the young cricketer. He scored a dazzling century in his first Test Match at the Mecca of Cricket, i.e. the Lords Cricket Ground.
He never looked back since then. Eventually, this young cricketer became the best left-hand batsman of India. His performance both in the Test Matches and ODIs was exemplary.
Not only that, this man also took over the captaincy of the Indian team when the team was involved in a shameful match-fixing scandal. From those controversies, he developed the Indian cricket team into the second-best team in the world.
After retirement from active cricket, this man became the President of the state cricket board, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and finally the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Fate definitely smiled on Sourav Ganguly and he made a dream comeback..
[Competition entry: September 2023 Topic-based contest]
