Sourav Ganguly turns 44: 10 facts you must know about the 'God of off-side'

As arguably India's greatest ever captain turns 44 today, here are some facts you must know about the Kolkata batsman.

New Delhi: Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, arguably India's finest skipper till date, turned 44 today.

Ganguly, who is credited to have injected a lot of aggression into the youngsters, is currently the president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

Here are some facts you must know about him:

Ganguly made his Test debut against England in 1996. He slammed a ton in the first innings.

As a kid, Ganguly's parents gave him the nickname "Maharaj". He was later nicknamed "The Prince of Calcutta" by Geoffrey Boycott.

Ganguly was made the captain of the Indian team in 2000, a period where the cricket fratertnity was rocked by match-fixing scandals. Under Ganguly's leadership, India started winning abroad and became one of the best teams in Tests by the time he retired.

After getting dropped from the Indian team in 1992, Ganguly had a personal bowling machine installed in his house to practise his batting.

183 against Sri Lanka is his highest individual score in ODIs.

Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan are four players who flourished under Ganguly's captaincy. These veterans have often hailed Ganguly as India's best skipper till date.

Javagal Srinath is said to have made at least three comebacks from retirement only on Ganguly's insistence.

Sourav is the third cricketer in the world, along with Aravinda De Silva and Mahela Jayawardene, to score a 100 and lead a team to the final of a World Cup.

India won the Natwest Series final against England at Lord's in 2005. Ganguly twirling his shirt at Lord's balcony is one of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket.

Ganguly played his last international match, a Test, against Australia in 2008 at Nagpur.