New Delhi. That scorching afternoon of June was going to be transformed into a deep memory of the Under-15 cricket camp in Indore. Inside the room, Sourav Ganguly, a future of Indian cricket, was sleeping deeply. Unaware that some of his friends outside have planned a big crime. Suddenly, Sachin Tendulkar along with his teammates Jatin Paranjape and Kedar Godbole started pouring buckets of water from under the door of Sourav’s room. When Saurav opened his eyes, the sight was surprising. There was water all around the room and their suitcases were floating in that water. For some moments Saurav could not understand whether this was a dream or reality. Later, when they came to know that it was a prank of Sachin and his friends, instead of getting angry, the whole room echoed with laughter. That suitcase incident was not just a childish prank, but it was the foundation of an unbreakable relationship, which later changed the history of Indian cricket forever.
More than three and a half decades have passed, but the friendship between Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly is still as fresh and deep. In this long journey, Sachin has seen Sourav in many forms. A curly-haired shy teenager, an aggressive batting ‘Maharaja’ on the field, a courageous captain of the Indian team and then a busy BCCI administrator. But for Sachin, Sourav is a true and very close friend above all these statuses. Even after saying goodbye to the international cricket field, whenever these two legends meet, all the differences of age and time disappear and they again become mischievous boys from the same camp of Indore. They first met in a junior tournament held in Kanpur, but the camp organized under the supervision of late Vasu Paranjape in Indore gave them an opportunity to understand each other closely.
When Sachin Tendulkar narrated the story of Ganguly.
Sachin-Ganguly’s friendship was not limited to laughter and jokes
This friendship was not limited to just banter outside the field, rather it created a stir in world cricket on the field. When both of them came to the crease as opening partner, the opposition bowlers used to sweat on their forehead. This pair made a record 26 century partnerships in ODI cricket, out of which 21 times they started the innings and demoralized the opposing teams. Sachin Tendulkar once told that when both of them were on the field, their only aim was to make India win. In that era, there were neither mobile phones nor social media like today. Yet when they parted ways after the 1991–92 tour, the distance between their hearts never widened. Mutual understanding and deep coordination made their friendship pass every test.
When Sachin Tendulkar had decided to leave the captaincy
There came a turning point in Indian cricket when Sachin Tendulkar had decided to leave the captaincy. During the 1999 Australia tour, Sachin had recognized a leader hidden within Sourav. Sachin then told that he himself had given a concrete suggestion to the selectors and the board to make Sourav Ganguly the vice-captain of the team. Sachin was confident that Sourav had the potential to take Indian cricket in a new direction. When Sourav took command, Indian cricket was going through a phase of change and was struggling with the dark shadow of match fixing. In such a critical time, Sourav needed such players who could play without fear. Sourav proved to be a great captain because he knew very well how to create balance in the team. He gave complete freedom to the players to showcase their skills, but at the same time made them aware of their responsibilities.
Saurav proved Sachin’s trust completely true.
Sourav proved Sachin’s trust completely true. Under Ganguly’s captaincy, the Indian team got match-winning players like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra. All these young players were extremely talented, but Sourav Ganguly gave them the support and confidence they needed in the initial stages of their careers. Sourav gave these youngsters the freedom to play freely, on the basis of which India started winning matches abroad. Sourav transformed the Indian team into an aggressive and fighting team, which dared to wave the T-shirt on the balcony of Lord’s.
Saurav never looked back after becoming captain
Today, when Sourav Ganguly is at another stage of his life, Sachin Tendulkar smiles proudly while remembering the old memories. He says that Saurav never looked back after becoming the captain and his achievements are in front of the whole world today. This journey, which started from a simple junior tournament in Kanpur, through the mischief of suitcase water in the camp in Indore, has been recorded in the most historical pages of cricket. This story is not just about runs and centuries, but it is about the unwavering trust of two friends, respect for each other during the captaincy period and the spirit that took Indian cricket to the top, which is an unmatched example for today’s youth.
