The brief given to me was simple. For Sourav’s birthday, tell us 12 stories that we don’t know about the man we all love. Now that’s where it becomes complicated. Sourav Ganguly is an eternal Bengali love affair. Everything about him is known. There are more than 30 books on him. Close to a million interviews online and on television. His life is a public book. So, how do we get 12 stories that remain untold? But that’s where it turns interesting as well. You dig deep into your three decade-long association and then figure out that there are many such stories that are acutely personal, witty and humorous, sensitive at times, that have remained untold. So, here they are, to take our readers on a journey of all things Sourav.
Nottingham, 2014: My daughter Aisha was three months old, and India had just played out a draw against England at Nottingham. The second Test was at Lord’s and each of us was traveling from Trent Bridge to London. I remember meeting Sourav in the hotel lobby. My wife was carrying the luggage, while I had my little Aisha in a baby sack around my neck. Soon after he saw us, Sourav came and enquired if we had booked a car. We had. His first reaction was: “Arre, cancel kore dao. Bolo ni keno. You come with me.” I was hesitant. When you have a very young infant, there are things that you don’t control. We did not want to trouble Sourav. He wouldn’t listen. He made us cancel, drove us to London and then dropped us off at an underground station just 10 mins from our destination. And when he dropped us, he parked the car on the hard shoulder and carried our luggage down. Only when the Jubilee Line train came did he leave. It left a deep impression on both of us about the man that Sourav is.
Lord’s, 2014: India had won a famous Test match against England, with Ishant Sharma bowling the spell of his life. I had to do a TV show celebrating the win with Sourav and Nasser Hussain, from just opposite Lord’s. While Nasser was there on time, Sourav wasn’t. I was a little upset because Sourav was the star draw for an Indian audience. When I asked Nasser where Sourav was, all he could say was that they had commentated together and were walking out when, all of a sudden, Sourav took a detour and Nasser lost him. Ten minutes into the show, we could see Sourav walking towards us with two ice creams, huge scoops standing tall on the cones! When I asked him what he had been up to, he said, “Arre India jitlo. Show te tomader ice cream khawabo bole to kine anlam. Khao!” And then, he fed Nasser ice cream on the show, which needless to say went viral. Sourav had taken over the show by then and, trust me, the delay wasn’t an issue anymore. He had connected with the audience, while I enjoyed my ice cream.
Edgbaston, 2017: India had just beaten Pakistan in Birmingham, and Sourav and I were going live from just opposite the Edgbaston stadium. It had to be a long show, for the opposition was Pakistan, after all. Nearly an hour into the show, our cameraperson informed us that he was running out of battery for the live unit. And we still had 30 more minutes to go. I was starting to get jittery when Sourav said to me, “tumi themo na ami aschi.” And he disappeared. It later transpired that he had gone to the store just next door, introduced himself as a former India captain and promised to take pictures with every employee if they allowed me to plug in my live unit and continue with the show. Needless to say, they did and all was hunky dory thanks to Sourav’s generous gesture.
Melbourne, 2015: It was the night India had beaten South Africa in the World Cup, and we had a fantastic meal at Shark Finn In, one of the best Chinese restaurants in Melbourne CBD. Having eaten a lot, four of us, including Sourav, decided to walk back to the hotel. It was close to midnight and, all of a sudden, Sourav told us, “Lets take a tram ride. The trams will be empty now and we can enjoy ourselves and celebrate. Let’s get on at Bourke Street, go to Bundoora and come back.” In effect, he was suggesting that we travel the entire tram route and come back to the hotel post-midnight. All of us jumped on the tram, and had the most fascinating adda for the next hour. By the time we returned, Sourav was fast asleep in a Melbourne tram – a first for him as well.
Champions League Final, Cardiff, 2017: Sourav is a huge Cristiano Ronaldo fan and with Ronaldo leading Real Madrid to the final of the Champions League in 2017, played in Cardiff, it was natural that he would suggest we go and watch. We were in Birmingham, and Cardiff was a few hours’ drive. He had hired a car, and we had a fantastic experience with Ronaldo and Real winning the title with a 3-1 result against Juventus. On the way back, we heard that there were terror attacks in London. In fact, by the time we reached Birmingham, there were police vehicles on every road and the Indian team hotel, the Hyatt, was like a fortress. I was staying there, and had forgotten my key card. The cops were refusing to let me in when Sourav came to my rescue. He showed his credentials to them and said, and this was at 2am in the morning, that he would wait with the cops till I entered the hotel and only then would he leave. It was only after I called him from the reception that he thanked the cops and left for his hotel.
Batting talk: It was just days before the women’s tour to Australia in October 2021 and Sourav, Jhulan Goswami and I were on a conference call together. The call was about a show we had planned. All of a sudden, Sourav digressed and said to Jhulan, “Tomar bat ta ki length e choto, tumi ar ektu baro bat e khelo. Tomar batting e aro kintu concentrate koro, you can help the team a lot more with the bat.” And for the next five minutes, there was a batting masterclass. Jhulan and I listened intently, and in Australia, Jhulan played some very important knocks for the team. She still remembers the conversation, and Sourav’s inputs, fondly.
Book Matters: I was launching my book Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians in London, and the panel included Sourav, Kumar Sangakkara, Clive Lloyd and others. Just days before the event, I was told that Sourav too had an event in Oxford that afternoon. I started to panic when I realised there was no way could he make it back to Central London from Oxford. Finally, when I called him, I must confess I was a little upset. “Tumi eta kibhabe korle” is what I said. Having heard me, Sourav said: “Shono, ami date ta guliye felechilam, but know this. When I have promised you I will come, it means I will come.” Soon after, he preponed his own book event in Oxford, left early and drove to Central London to reach my function at 5:30pm. In fact, the moment he entered, he showed me his watch with a smile, and said, “Aar paglamo korbe na ashakori.”
Reel life: Sana, Dona, Sourav and I were having a relaxed conversation in the first-floor drawing room of his house, and the chat turned towards his biopic. Sana, who has a fantastic sense of humour, said all of a sudden, “Boria uncle, Baba r biopic e we must show how baba and ma met, and their entire story.” The moment she said it, Sourav started to blush. “Dekho, amar meye r byabastha dekho” is what he said, and by then, he was literally red. We were all enjoying his discomfort, and more so Sana. The rest I wouldn’t write here, for some things can’t be written. But all I will say is that I could see the deep bond between father and daughter, and wish that it stays like that forever.
Sachin, the bat-fixer: It was Sourav’s debut Test match and his bat had broken by the time the umpires called ‘tea’. It had to be taped up before he could play with it again. And he did not want to change it because he was batting on a 100-plus and was superstitious about it. That was when Sachin Tendulkar came to his rescue, and asked him to have a cup of tea while Tendulkar taped his bat and got it repaired. Sourav fondly remembers the moment, and the bonding between the two remains as strong as ever. Sourav and Sachin are the best of friends even today.
Protecting the best: This is a story that I have to credit Sachin for. Sachin wasn’t getting runs in the Australia series of 2003-04, and was a little upset. That’s when Sourav, the captain, went up to him and said he would go ahead of Sachin and bat the evening out, so that Sachin could focus on batting the next morning. It would help him to focus better mentally, and work very well for the team. Very few could have said that to Sachin, and tried to protect the world’s best batsman. That’s why Sourav remains one of India’s greatest captains.
Comeback king: This is one of my favourite stories. Soon after he was selected for the South Africa tour in 2006-07, after the Greg Chappell saga, a renowned photographer from Kolkata called him and said, “Please bhebe dekho jabe kina. Oi bowling attack r birudhhe Test comeback kora ta ki thik hobe? Rather, you should make a comeback at home.” Sourav listened to him intently and said: “If I don’t go to South Africa and play the world’s best bowling attack and score runs, then there is no point continuing with the sport. It will be the bowler, the 22 yards and my bat. It is time I show myself what I am capable of, and take up this challenge.” The rest, as they say, is history.
NatWest Shirt Memories: How could a Sourav tribute be complete without a reference to the NatWest shirt removal? It was in the Lord’s press box, and Sourav, Steve Waugh and I were having scones and tea. And all of a sudden, Waugh asked him about the famous incident. I immediately got excited, and starting giving Waugh some details of what happened. That’s when Sourav piped in, “Steve, I have also scored some good runs at Lord’s, including a debut 100. Why don’t you two talk about my batting for a change rather than only refer to me opening my shirt?” Then he looked at me and said with a smile, “Ami to Lord’s e aro kichu korechi. Tomra bolo na keno bolo toh!” I translated that for Steve, and we burst out laughing.
Wish you a very happy 51st, Sourav.
