Top 60 Sourav Ganguly Quotes

Captains are always criticised.

I am a big fan of Virat Kohli. He is a captain who always wants to win matches on the field and I love that passion in him.

I am a very quiet person off the field, very laidback like a lot of Bengalis.

I was inspired by the way the Aussies played their cricket. It was no-holds barred. They played to win.

Kohli is a flag bearer of Indian cricket.

I made it pretty clear that if I’m captain, the best team has to play.

The battle to win – on the pitch and in the boardroom – begins and ends in one’s head.

A strong India is very, very important for world cricket.

In your journey to the tag of winning-at-all-costs you can still behave, you can still do the right things by not crossing the line. Lot of champions have done it. Look at Rahul Dravid, Steve Waugh.

As captain you’re involved immensely. You get worked up, you get carried away. It slowly dies down once you’re a player. You realise you’ve to take the back seat.

Administrators guide players and I have played for such a long time, I understand how it feels as a player. You can say I am a player’s administrator.

I love going to England and discovering new places in the countryside. I love the English weather and the freedom that the place gives.

There’s one must in life: whatever job you do, wherever you are, whatever age you have, how much experience you have, you have to keep performing at the top level otherwise someone else will take your place.

I have lot of hopes from Virat Kohli and nation believes in him.

I was at the Wimbledon some time back and I saw Roger Federer play.

In 1992, I was part of the Test team and played the Tri-series too. But, I missed the World Cup after being left out of the squad since I was fairly young.

When I was captain, John Wright was making all the decisions and I followed like an obedient student.

Absolutely, I used to run very fast between the wickets.

In life when you get tested, when you get rejected by everyone and when you get pushed aside, you actually get the best out of it. That has been a learning curve for me.

My first trip as a captain against Pakistan in 2003 – we had never won there before, but then we won both the Test Matches and One-Days.

Kohli is a huge addition to the side not just because of his batting but with his attitude as well. He lifts everyone on the field. There is so much passion in his cricket.

A good opening stand is always crucial for a team.

When you’re captain you get involved in a lot of things. You’re trying to get the best out of players and subconsciously, without knowing, it gets to you.

England has some very good cricketers. And don’t rule West Indies out. They have some explosive players.

In 2000 I became captain and stayed till 2005, and this was a very successful time in Indian cricket, so it was a satisfying tenure for me.

My memories of playing against Pakistan have been happy times for India.

A life of a sportsperson is approximately 14-15 years long and fatigue will be a part of it, but they have to manage that.

When you play cricket for India, you are always under the scanner. You are always judged by others; you have to live up to it all.

I was a firm believer that every cricketer needs to get a fair chance.

One of my favourite sportsmen was Diego Maradona and every time I saw him play football you could see the passion in the heart.

Age is never a factor if talent is there.

Fatherhood has changed me, I’ve become more patient.

You can’t be chasing 338 and still have 5 wickets in the end. It’s about mindset and the way you look at the game.

I live in the present and do not look that far ahead.

I think nobody has the right to talk about Sachin Tendulkar’s game. It’s just a phenomenon.

India, Pakistan series has always been decided by the government. We toured in 2003-04 when I was the captain and it was for the first time since 1989-90 that we toured Pakistan. There were times even in those days when the series was planned but would get cancelled. So you have to leave it to the government.

If you are considered as favourites, you have stand up and deliver. You can’t make too many mistakes. You have to be the best.

When Virat Kohli plays, wherever you are you will come and watch that because he is playing. That is his impact. When you look at him, you will get to know that this man has a mission of making his team the best.

For me life is simple and consistent.

In world cricket, I think Joe Root is a fine captain.

As captain of India, the world was at my feet and then I did not find myself in the team. Not many captains would find themselves in that position.

When I first became captain of the Indian cricket team in 2000, many well-wishers and journalist friends gifted me the classic Mike Brearley book, ‘The Art of Captaincy.’ I mean no disrespect to the book or Mr, Brearley, who I admire a great deal, but books or team meetings don’t make you good captains.

Health starts in the head and goes to the heart and other parts of the body.

That happens on a cricket field. People have a go at each other. That’s fair, that’s fine. It’s called Test cricket. It’s not a day in the park.

I have got lot of faith in Virat Kohli. Whatever I’ve seen of him from the ground or TV, it gives me a lot of confidence.

You can call it my bias or love for Harbhajan but if you are picking three best spinners in the country, he’s got to be among them. Harbhajan is one bowler who should be playing all three formats of the game.

I wanted to take away the fear of failure from the youngsters because when I came into the Indian team I faced that pressure.

When you are successful, there is the pressure of performing consistently; when you are not, there is the pressure of coming back and doing well.

There is nobody called Test bowler, one day bowler or T20 bowler. It just how you adapt and make a difference to your own game.

I love playing England. The teas at Lord’s are good quality.

The moment a spinner gets turn he becomes dangerous.

As much as you learn to handle failure, you must learn to handle success too, because that’s also important.

Any captain will take some time to settle down. Nobody is an outstanding leader straightaway.

The most important thing in IPL is to select the players. You don’t get much time to develop a team so it’s important to pick the right players.

I cherish my entire life. I’ve been blessed with a life full of good memories.

When I go around in Kolkata, I do not get hassled.

With high-profile jobs, comes pressure and competition.

Pakistan always play well in England.

Mistakes do happen and life goes on.

My brother was a left-hander. When I was young, my father would say take your brother’s gloves and pads and play, so I picked up the bat left-handed.