Sourav Ganguly captaincy records helped the Indian team to recognize as one of the best sides in world Cricket. There was no one to take the captaincy role when the Indian team was hit by the fixing scandal, which notably included Azaharuddin and Ajay Jadeja. All eyes were on Sachin Tendulkar to save the Indian team, but he could not do so because of health issues. Only one person remained, and his name was Sourav Ganguly. He reunited Indian Team and helped them to build their morale. That was the reason Indian fans gave him the title of Maharaja of Indian Cricket.
Sourav Ganguly Captaincy Tenure
Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy period lasted for six years, from years 2000 to 2005, and the way he created a solid foundation for the Indian squad is incredible.
In these years, the Indian team played the final of the ODI world cup in 2003 and won ICC Champions Trophy in 2002. Below is a detailed analysis of his achievements as captain:
| Captaincy Period | 2000-2005 |
| Previous Captain | Sachin Tendulkar, Azharuddin |
| Next Captain | Rahul Dravid |
| Key Achievements | Leading India to the finals of the 2003 Cricket World CupWinning the NatWest Series in 2002, India’s first major bilateral ODI tournament victory winning the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002Most Successful Indian captain before MS Dhoni era |
In his captaincy era, he not only scored various cricket records himself but also carried other legendary Indian players like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, and Ajit Agarkar. Surely, this was the reason that several years later, the Indian team had one of the best captains in form of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli who were the products of that momentum started by Sourav Ganguly.
All Formats Captaincy Record
Sourav Ganguly led the Indian team in 196 matches, winning 97 and losing 79 with a win percentage of 49. Till 2007, he was one of the most successful Indian captains with the highest wins in tests and ODI. Later on, MS Dhoni broke his records and became a successful Indian captain.
| Matches | Won | Win % | Lost | Tied | Draw | NR |
| 196 | 97 | 49 | 79 | 0 | 15 | 05 |
Sourav Ganguly Runs as Captain vs Player
- As captain, he scored 7665 runs in 196 matches with a batting average of 38.
- As a player, he scored 10910 runs in 278 matches with a batting average of 43.
If we look at the batting record of Sourav Ganguly as captain and player, then we can see he scored more runs with a better average when he was a player than as a captain.
| # | As Captain | As Player |
| Matches | 196 | 278 |
| Innings | 218 | 270 |
| Runs | 7665 | 10910 |
| 100s | 16 | 22 |
| 50s | 43 | 64 |
| NO | 18 | 22 |
| Avg. | 38 | 43 |
Sourav Ganguly Captaincy Record in Test Cricket
Sourav Ganguly led India in 49 test matches, winning 21 and losing 13 with a win percentage of 49. Under the captaincy of Ganguly, team India scored runs with a run rate of 3 per over, which is the highest among other test teams in the same era.
| Matches | Won | Win % | Lost | Tied | Draw | NR |
| 49 | 21 | 49 | 13 | 0 | 15 |
At the home venue, India lost only one test series out of 10 under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly, while at the away venue out of India, Sourav won 04 and lost 04 test series.
Year by Year Captaincy Record in Test
Sourav Ganguly’s most successful year in test cricket was in 2002 when he won the most matches in a year which were 06 out of 16, while 05 matches ended in a draw. This record set his momentum, which he carried till 2005.
| Year | Matches | Won | Lost | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 03 | 02 | 0 | 01 |
| 2001 | 13 | 05 | 05 | 03 |
| 2002 | 16 | 06 | 05 | 05 |
| 2003 | 04 | 01 | 01 | 02 |
| 2004 | 08 | 04 | 01 | 03 |
| 2005 | 05 | 03 | 01 | 01 |
Test Batting as Captain Vs Player
As a test captain, Ganguly Scored 2561 runs in 49 test matches with a batting average of 37. While as a player, when he was not a captain, he scored 4651 runs in 64 Test matches with an average of 45.
| # | As Captain | As Player |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 49 | 64 |
| Innings | 75 | 113 |
| Runs | 2561 | 4651 |
| 100s | 05 | 10 |
| 50s | 13 | 22 |
| NO | 07 | 10 |
| Avg. | 37 | 45 |
Sourav Ganguly Captaincy Record in ODI Cricket
In ODI cricket, Sourav Ganguly led in 146 ODI matches, winning 76 and losing 65 with a win rate of 52.
- He won 18 out of 36 ODI matches in India with a win rate of 52.
- In ODI cricket Out of India, he had an excellent record winning 58 out of 110 while losing 47 ODIs.
| Matches | Won | Win % | Lost | Tied | NR |
| 146 | 76 | 52 | 65 | 0 | 05 |
Yearly Captaincy Record in ODIs
2002 was one of the best years for Sourav Ganguly in ODI cricket when he won 17 out of 32 matches with a fantastic win percentage. His least successful year as an ODI captain was in 2004 when he lost 16 out of 31 matches.
| Year | Matches | Won | Lost | N/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 04 | 02 | 02 | – |
| 2000 | 25 | 13 | 12 | – |
| 2001 | 23 | 11 | 12 | – |
| 2002 | 32 | 17 | 12 | 03 |
| 2003 | 22 | 14 | 07 | 01 |
| 2004 | 31 | 14 | 16 | 01 |
| 2005 | 09 | 05 | 04 | – |
ODI Batting as Captain Vs Player
- He has 5104 runs as captain in 147 ODI matches with a batting average of 39.
- As a Player, he has 6259 runs in 164 games with a batting average of 43.
| # | As Captain | As Player |
|---|---|---|
| Match | 147 | 164 |
| Innings | 143 | 157 |
| Runs | 5104 | 6259 |
| 100’s | 11 | 11 |
| 50’s | 30 | 42 |
| No | 11 | 12 |
| Avg. | 39 | 43 |
Sourav Ganguly Captaincy Record in ODI World Cup 2003 and Other ICC Tournaments
Sourav Ganguly led team India in 05 tournaments (04 ICC and 01 Asia Cup), winning one ICC Tournament in 2002, which was ICC Champions Trophy shared with Sri Lanka. At the same time, India reached the final of the 2003 World Cup, which was an excellent achievement under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly. So, India won only one trophy under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly, which was the Champions Trophy in 2002.
| Tournaments | Matches | Won | Lost | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Knock Out 2000 | 04 | 02 | 02 | – |
| ICC Champions Trophy 2002 | 05 | 03 | – | 02 |
| ICC World Cup 2003 | 06 | 03 | 03 | – |
| Asia Cup 2004 | 06 | 03 | 03 | |
| ICC Champions Trophy 2004 | 02 | 01 | 01 |
Sourav Ganguly Captaincy Records Against Pakistan and other Teams
Sourav Ganguly has played 21 games as captain against Pakistan. Where he has won only 9 games and lost 11, he has a winning percentage of 43 against Pakistan.
Most of his wins came against Zimbabwe, where he won 23 games, followed by West Indies with 11 wins. Below are pictorial representations of his wins against England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and others.
Source: CricBuzz
