Book review

‘In a single day he can provoke exasperation, infuriation and congratulations…[Sourav] is a mixture of dashing cricketer, disdainful aristocrat, protesting youth, charming socialiser, glorious leader and fierce competitor.’


--Peter Roebuck in The Cricketer International
‘Maharaj’ to his family, ‘Lord Snooty’ to his county mates in Lancashire and ‘Dada’ to his team, 29-year-old Sourav Ganguly has in the past few years rewritten the rules of captaincy for the Indian team. Unlike several of his predecessors, he is seen as an impartial, non-parochial captain, forever pushing his players to perform better. Off the field, his interactions with the media and his fans (and detractors) have been uncompromisingly honest and have earned him the respect of cricket followers everywhere.

But none of it came easily. The early years in domestic cricket had their share of highs and lows—none more paradoxical than his first major breakthrough in first-class cricket, when he was picked for a Ranji Trophy final at the cost of his older brother Snehashis. On the international arena, his sensational Test debut at Lord’s in 1996 and the second Sahara Cup Friendship series against Pakistan in 1997 thrust him dramatically into the limelight, but it wasn’t long before he found himself blacklisted again, for reasons of ‘attitude’. When he came back into the side, it was an older, more mature cricketer that we saw, one ready to take on more responsibilities and wear the mantle of leadership with uncommon authority and commitment. Since then, there have been several swings of fortune when he has been alternately eulogized and vilified, but there can be no doubt in anybody’s mind that Sourav has brought excitement and passion back to the game in India and has forced the rest of the world to sit up and take notice of him and his players.

In this book, Gulu Ezekiel follows the career of the Indian captain from the early years to the eve of the 2003 World Cup. With his trademark attention to detail and impeccable research, he uncovers the little known quirks of Sourav’s personality even as he records the details of his cricketing career. What emerges from this riveting account is the portrait of a man at the peak of his powers, with the ability, motivation and sheer grit to carry his team, and himself, to heights previously unscaled in the history of Indian cricket


About the author Gulu Ezekiel started his career in sports journalism with Indian Express in Chennai in 1982 before moving to New Delhi in 1991. He has been Sports Editor at the Asian Age, NDTV and indya.com and has contributed to more than 50 publications in India and around the world. He launched GE Features, a features and syndication company, in August 2001. Gulu is the author of several sports books including Great One-day Internationals( 1999) and The Story of the World Cup (1996).