Sourav Ganguly’s all-round show: The captain of Pune led from the front to guide his team to victory in the Indian Premier League.
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On this day in 2012, the then captain of Pune Warriors India in Sourav Ganguly had registered a match-winning all-round performance against Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) during the 27th match of the sixth season of the Indian Premier League in Delhi.
After the then Delhi captain Virender Sehwag won the toss and invited the visitors in to bat, Pune Warriors scored a formidable 192/3 in their allotted quota of 20 overs on the back of opening batsman Jesse Ryder (86) and Ganguly’s 93-run partnership for the second wicket.
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Coming in to bat at No. 3 in the fourth over, Ganguly played second fiddle as Ryder put on display a career-best score in the form of his fourth IPL half-century. Ganguly, who hit his only six off Delhi’s Kevin Pietersen, ended up scoring 41 (35) with the help of five fours and a six before getting out to Delhi spearhead Morne Morkel in the 15th over.
Sourav Ganguly’s all-round show
Chasing a 193-run target, Daredevils lost opening batsman Mahela Jayawardene (7) in the third over. However, a brisk 75-run partnership for the second wicket between Sehwag and Pietersen saw them scoring 87/1 in nine overs.
Known for his captaincy, Ganguly’s ploy of taking the matter in his own hands after the strategic timeout turned out to be a game-changing decision as he dismissed Pietersen (32) on the first delivery that he bowled after more than two years in the IPL.
In his next over, Ganguly’s gentle medium-pace sent back DD all-rounder Irfan Pathan (15) to the pavilion. Sehwag (57) getting out to Pune spinner Murali Kartik in the following over left a daunting task for the hosts.
Ganguly, who registered bowling figures of 4-0-27-2, led Pune to a 20-run victory as his team restricted Daredevils to 172/7 in 20 overs. Other than Ganguly, Pune fast bowler also bowled well with figures of 4-0-22-3.
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