Sourav Ganguly extremely inspiring, made me want to bat left-handed: Soumya Sarkar

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is one of the most celebrated cricketers in the country. The southpaw brought about a revolution in the Indian team and changed the way the game was played with his aggressive captaincy. However, Sourav Ganguly’s performances in the ODI format often gets overshadowed by his brilliant captaincy in the early 2000s.

ALSO READ | BCCI Treasurer claims IPL 2020 cancellation would make board lose nearly ₹4000 crore

Soumya Sarkar names Sourav Ganguly who inspired him to be a left-hander

Sourav Ganguly has scored 11,363 runs in 311 ODIs he played and finished among the top run-getters of the format. The BCCI President has been an inspiration to a generation of cricketers. Recently, a Bangladesh cricketer revealed how Sourav Ganguly inspired him to become a left-hander.

ALSO READ | BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhamal confirms receiving offer from UAE to host IPL 2020: Report

Bangladesh all-rounder Soumya Sarkar revealed that Sourav Ganguly was his first cricketing idol. Soumya Sarkar said that he was in awe of Sourav Ganguly’s elegance and the way in which the left-hander used to come down the track and hit spinners for gigantic sixes. Soumya Sarkar also said that he wasn't a natural left-hander.

It was after his brother's advice that he became a left-hander who told him that one day he would be a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium pacer like Sourav Ganguly. He further said that except batting, he does all his work with his right hand. Soumya Sarkar also said that he used to watch Sourav Ganguly play on TV along with his brother. Soumya Sarkar further said that while growing up, he became a fan of Sourav Ganguly's cover drive and the way he stepped down and hit maximum off-spinners.

ALSO READ | Dinesh Karthik wants IPL 2020 to happen for getting to work with McCullum, Morgan

Soumya Sarkar also spoke about his first encounter with Sourav Ganguly. He said he visited Kolkata for the Bangladesh U-16 team and that's when he met Ganguly face-to-face for the first time. He added that Ganguly was right in front of him and he wanted to talk to him but he couldn't utter a word as he just stared in amazement.

Soumya Sarkar also revealed how he was hooked to the flamboyance of Yuvraj Singh during his best years. He said after growing up, Yuvraj Singh had become his favourite cricketer. Soumya Sarkar also lauded Yuvraj Singh's aggressive style of batting from the word go and how the former India all-rounder used to change the course of the game quickly. Soumya Sarkar said he wishes to emulate Yuvraj Singh's style and the manner in which he used to decimate the opposition bowlers. 

ALSO READ | Virat Kohli talks about IPL 2020; says 'Optimistic that it will be played at some stage'

IMAGE COURTESY: SOUMYA SARKAR INSTAGRAM