The former Indian cricketer, now incumbent BCCI (Board of Cricket Council Of India) president Sourav Ganguly was seen marking the beginning of the Hindu festival Durga Puja in his hometown of Kolkata on Tuesday. The Puja was inaugurated in a unique fashion which has pertinence and is familiar to millions of Indian cricket fans.
It was a picture-perfect replica of the Lord's cricket balcony where Ganguly also famously known as Dada took his shirt off and won the Natwest series against England and created an indelible moment. Needless to say, the act ruffled quite a lot of feathers as the ripples of it are still felt in the English media.
Ganguly recreated and lived the iconic moment, this time for the start of Durga Puja Pandal which is celebrated widely with vim and vigour in Kolkata as the festival happens to be dear to the people hailing from Kolkata.
Durga Puja also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava which is akin to Diwali for the city of joy Kolkata is a recurrent yearly celebration in honour of the revered Goddess Durga. It is a celebration of her victory over Mahishasur.
The incandescent ire of Ganguly was seen in its full glory when India won the Natwest ODI series at Lords. The prince of Kolkata who was the skipper created his most vivid memory as a player when his shirt came off and his hairy chest was laid bare with the twirling of the sweaty shirt while hurling unmentionable expletives.
It came after England’s all-rounder Andrew Flintoff predated the shirt-taking-off act in Mumbai, 2022 when India failed to chase the target of 255.
Dada was not the one to take it lying down as during the Natwest series in a riposte, Flintoff was at the receiving end of the wild celebration sending the Indian crowd into a frenzy.
Afterwards, he was utterly eviscerated by the English media but the haughty Ganguly couldn’t care less as India won the series chasing down 325 in the final ODI at Lords under his leadership.
