Bardhaman (West Bengal) [India], February 21 : Former India cricket team captain and ex-BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly expressed confidence in India's performance in the ICC Champions Trophy, stating that the team will play well.
"India will play well (in Champions Trophy)," Ganguly told reporters.
India started their Champions Trophy campaign on a strong note with a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh.
Electing to bat first, Bangladesh top order imploded and was at 35/5, untill a 154 run stand between Towhid Hridoy (100 in 117 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and Jaker Ali (68 in 114 balls, with four fours) powered them to a decent 228/10.
In the run chase, India had a fine 69-run opening stand with skipper Rohit (41 in 36 balls, with seven fours) leading the way. India stumbled to 144/4 and from there, Shubman Gill (101* in 129 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) and KL Rahul (41* in 47 balls, with a four and two sixes) sealed the game for India.
Gill won the 'Player of the Match' award.
Ganguly, who played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs for India, was one of the most influential left-handed batters in Indian cricket history. He amassed 18,575 runs across all formats in his international career. Known as the 'Prince of Kolkata,' he later took on administrative roles, first becoming the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and subsequently the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
During his tenure as captain, Ganguly led India to 21 Test victories and guided the team to the final of the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup. His contributions extended beyond the field, as he also served on BCCI's technical committee and was a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee alongside Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.
Ganguly retired from international cricket in 2008, concluding his illustrious career with over 18,000 international runs. His leadership and contributions continue to influence Indian cricket, both on and off the field.