KOLKATA: Sourav Ganguly seems to have come to terms with the inevitable. While there are five days left in his term as president of the BCCI, he is already referring to the past.
“I was the TAXI president for five years. Then I was chairman of the board for three years,” he said at a promotional event, while reflecting on his days as a director.
“In those three years so many good things have happened. We had IPL during the Covid pandemic such tough times for all of us. We won the U-19 World Cup. reached an all-time high. And, I wish the senior women’s team had won gold at the Commonwealth Games, they could have beaten Australia. Those were great moments for me as an administrator.” he declared.
The reference came after a philosophical reflection Ganguly says “nothing is permanent”, either as a player or as an administrator. “I was an administrator, now I will move on.”
Although there’s no indication what’s next for him, the former skipper, who turned 50 in July, is sure to have something in mind. And he hinted that he was ready to go for another round. “Maybe I will continue to do bigger things in the future,” he said.
Does he have something up his sleeves, or was that just another philosophical statement? With his knack for bouncing back, it won’t be a surprise if he’s already agreed a deal. It is believed that he was interested in taking on a role with the ICC after the move to BCCI, but reports say he lacks the support on the board.
Much could be read in an innocuous reference to the Prime Minister – “You do not become a Sachin Tendulkar or a Ambani or Narendra Modi in a day” – but again, it may be too early to talk about rapprochements.
Sourav brand value will remain intact
Could it be back to the comment box? He took the microphone more than once to ask the event promoter a few questions. And when event officials put up a clip of him and Rahul Dravid exchanging pleasantries in the comment box with a familiar face in the background and a line below reading: Binny 0-23, Sourav Ganguly was quick to clarify. “This Binny is not Roger Binny. It’s Stuart Binny.”
Even though he is no longer in the administration of cricket, Ganguly’s brand value will surely remain intact. In fact, he is one of the most visible faces on TV screens and billboards, especially in this part of the world. On Thursday, he became a brand ambassador for Bandhan Bank, taking on such a role for perhaps the millionth time. He will find ways to occupy himself.
