Amid Gautam Gambhir’s exit rumours, Kolkata Knight Riders posts grand ’Happy Birthday’ wish for Sourav Ganguly

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) felicitated former India captain Sourav Ganguly on the occasion of his 52nd birthday on Monday. Ganguly is remembered as one of the most successful captains of the Indian team, having groomed many successful players like MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), KKR wrote, “Maharaja. Dada. The Prince of Kolkata. Happy Birthday, Sourav Ganguly!”

Notably, Ganguly has had a special association with KKR, captaining the Kolkata-based franchise in the 2008 and 2010 IPL seasons. In all, Ganguly played in the IPL until 2012 before retiring from cricket for good.

KKR's latest announcement comes amid speculation that Gautam Gambhir could replace Rahul Dravid as India's next head coach. If that happens, it means Gambhir will have to bid farewell to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the franchise will have to look for a new mentor.

Ganguly career for India: 

Sourav Ganguly made his debut for India in the 1996 Test series against England and took over the captaincy just four years later in the wake of the match-fixing scandal. Ganguly would go on to turn the team around, helping them reach the final of the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000 and securing victory over Australia in the home Test series the following year.

Perhaps Ganguly's most iconic moment came when he lifted his shirt over his head on the Lord's balcony after his team won the Natwest Trophy in 2002. Ganguly also helped the Men in Blue reach the final of the 2003 World Cup, but couldn't lift the prestigious ICC trophy after a defeat to Australia.

However, Ganguly was dropped from the Indian team in 2005-6 after his relationship with coach Greg Chappell soured. However, the Prince of Kolkata made a comeback to play in his final Test match in 2008. Ganguly scored 18,575 runs in 113 Tests and 311 ODIs during his international career.

After his cricketing career, Ganguly took on the role of President of the Cricket Association of Bengal and then became President of the BCCI. He is currently the Director of Cricket for Delhi Capitals.