Sourav Ganguly, the new co-owner and ISPL ambassador of Kolkata Tigers, along with Aksha Kamboj, Executive Chairman of Aspect Global. (Image: Tigers of Kolkata) From junior camps and high-pressure overseas tours to the boardroom and the commentary box, Sourav Ganguly has spent decades at the heart of Indian cricket. Yet, even after all the game has given him, it is the familiar rhythms of street cricket that have drawn him back now. The former India captain has stepped into a new role as co-owner and ambassador of the Tigers of Kolkata franchise in the Indian Street Premier League.
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Built on tennis-ball cricket and the raw energy of the streets, ISPL taps into memories Ganguly knows intimately – of learning the feel of the ball with improvised equipment, of dreaming big in small spaces and of a country where cricket is still an obsession. In an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.comGanguly reflects on why the ISPL resonates with him, the importance of giving young players a visible platform, the quiet influence of Sachin Tendulkar’s involvement and why tennis ball cricket can still be one of the purest gateways to discover the next generation of Indian talent.excerpts:What made you become a co-owner and ambassador of the Tigers of Kolkata franchise?I have been watching this tournament for the last three years on TV and you have to give a lot of credit to Suraj Samat (ISPL League Commissioner) for organizing it and creating a platform for young players to play. You know how big cricket is in India. There is so much going on across the country in terms of states, districts, universities. Everyone wants to play the game. Not everyone gets an opportunity at the state level because you get selected and vetted and then you get an opportunity to play at the top level. But what it does is… it gives everyone a chance to showcase their talent. I think that’s why we’re all attached to it. My very dear friend Sachin (Tendulkar) is a part of it. I have followed him for 3 years, how much time he spends on it.We all played tennis ball cricket at a young age. When you are 8-10 years old, it is best to give children tennis shoes because they will not hurt them. And they still understand the sense of the ball. And as they get older, ball sense actually takes over when they play hard ball.So I think it’s a great opportunity for everyone to show talent. And this country is obsessed with cricket. And what ISPL does is it gives them an opportunity and a platform to showcase their talent and then you never know.
Sourav Ganguly with Aksha Kamboj, Executive Chairman, Aspect Global. (Image: Tigers of Kolkata)
How important is Sachin’s involvement in your decision-making about co-ownership and management of the team?I saw him on TV. I never discussed it with him because of course I didn’t know I would ever be a part of it. But I saw him play with a tennis ball when he was young. The size he has achieved over the years… I have known him since 15 days. Camps in junior cricket, cricket was different back then. We all played with a tennis ball wrapped in plastic. Get used to swing bowling. Get used to bowling with a short run-up. And that’s how we all got to this game. And I saw ISPL on TV. And I was talking to Suraj that the ball is swinging like that. And the bat speed of some of the players who play and the distance they get on these big grounds is remarkable. What stands out to me is their excitement. Their excitement can be seen on TV. Their excitement is to be noticed as they get instant recognition in their locales. “Ki yeh bhi khel sakta hai!” (He can also play well) This is most important in India with cricket. ‘Ki yeh bhi khel sakta hai’. So that’s it.
Cricket is so popular in India. ISPL is an opportunity to show the dream of many boys and girls who want to play this sport.
Sourav Ganguly
What are your earliest memories of playing tennis balls, cricket as a child?We’ve all done it. Even when I was playing for India, I used to use a wet tennis ball to get used to fast bowling when we went to Australia, South Africa. There were those plastic balls and there were those wet tennis balls that (before) get used to bounce. And we all did. And like I said, the best thing this (tennis ball cricket) will do at this stage is give you a feel for the ball. It will give you an idea of how to play, how to score runs and how to adapt to different conditions. And then the hard ball takes over.So, like I said, it’s an opportunity to play cricket. And we have seen how popular (ISPL) has become in the last few years in India. And I can’t help but wonder. Like I said cricket is so popular in India. It is an opportunity to show the dream of many boys and girls who want to play this sport.How do you and Tigers of Kolkata plan to expand the reach of cricket and identify the next generation of talent from the eastern part of the country?It already has a huge reach. And if you look at the numbers that are still being generated over the last couple of years that they’re getting players from and bringing them into the auction to have a chance to play matches. And from there, select the best to be in the main team during the month-long tournament. So they have reach in any case. And hopefully this will encourage young players to continue playing in the days to come.
