We have set high standards for IPL: Sourav Ganguly on Birthday eve

Sourav Ganguly, who turns 50 on Friday, will celebrate with his wife Dona, daughter Sana, and other close family members in his apartment in London, far from the spotlight of Calcutta. In a conversation with The Telegraph, Ganguly went down the road of nostalgia and remember his first test debut 26 years ago.

Right before he creates half a century in life, Ganguly discusses how grateful he is that he got to play the sport. Sourav has a very neutral approach toward the ups and downs of the cricket world. He said the achievements are just results that follow a good game.

When talking about the downs, Sourav believes that in a cricket world, there is no point in reflecting. It is just an afterthought. In cricket, everything happens in real time.

He also cleared the air around the rumors of his forced retirement and he said, “I always believed that when you play for so long you should go at your peak. And I did that. I played very well in my last series and finished it on a high (324 runs in 4 Tests at an average of 54)”

The BCCI president also spoke about the sky-high bars set for IPL media rights. He said, “…we have set the bar high. But you know I feel fortunate that I have been part of this meteoric rise of Indian cricket from Day I. When I started playing cricket there was nothing. Then it went through a transformation phase from 1996… then the IPL happened and the transformation kept continuing. Now as BCCI president, the figure has touched (Rs) 48,390.32 crore. And it’s not just about this. It’s also the (Rs) 12,715 crore the two new franchises fetched… The international broadcast rights are up next year…”

When asked about the birth plan, Sourav revealed that they have not planned anything special. Ganguly is currently with his wife Donna, and daughter Sana.