As strong reports surfaced of Sourav Ganguly nudging ahead of Karnataka strongman and former India cricketer Brijesh Patel in the race to become Board of Control for Cricket in India’s new president, the current Cricket Association of Bengal president is on the cusp of repeating a unique double in the history of India cricket.
Ganguly, who ushered in a new era in Indian cricket with his aggressive captaincy, will be the second Indian captain to hold the top job in BCCI once elected. The only other Indian captain to become full-time BCCI president was Maharajkumar of Vizianagram or Vizzy, who had led the Indian team in 3 Test matches during the tour of England in 1936. He became the president of BCCI in 1954.
The legendary Sunil Gavaskar was appointed interim president in 2014 but has never held the position as a full-time administrator.
Ganguly was instrumental in creating a new culture in Indian cricket and was responsible for an epochal shift in the way India played Test cricket outside the sub-continent. He guided the team to the 2003 ICC World Cup final. Ganguly put faith in youngsters like Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni and several others, who would go on to become superstars of Indian cricket.
Hz has been serving as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal since 2015.
“I am happy with the appointment because this is the time when BCCI’s image has got hampered and it’s a great opportunity for me to do something. Whether you are elected unopposed or otherwise, it’s a big responsibility because it is the biggest organization in the world of cricket. India is a powerhouse. It will be a challenge,” Ganguly as quoted as saying by India Today.
Here is the full list of BCCI presidents so far –
