Sourav Ganguly and Sunil Gavaskar are two of the finest legends ever in Indian cricket. Both have been iconic opening batters with 10,000 runs in ODIs and Tests respectively and even share the same initials. If that isn’t enough, here is a fun fact that will blow you mind: both Ganguly and Gavaskar scored a double century in their 99th Test. In 1983, Gavaskar notched up his career-best Test score of 236 against West Indies, and 24 years later, Ganguly registered his maiden and only Test double century, scoring 239 against Pakistan in Bengaluru.
Incidentally, Gavaskar and Ganguly are both football fans as well. Ganguly was one of the founding members of Atletico de Kolkata in 2014 and also played a crucial role when the whole merger with Mohun Bagan took place. Gavaskar, meanwhile, revealed that he has been a keen follower of Arsenal, the EPL club over the years. The former India captain is not as much of a fan as he is an admirer, but Gavaskar has always been fond of two of Arsenal FC’s biggest legends in particular.
“I’ve been an Arsenal follower – I won’t say a fan so much – been a follower for a long time. I used to tease my son who is a Manchester United fan that I am an Arsenal fan and he would ask ‘Tell me 4 names from the Arsenal team’. I would say Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp. Even Arsene Wenger is an uncanny lookalike of my hero ML Jaisimha, so that’s an additional factor. Henry was someone who I really admired watching and he also has signed a shirt for me,” Gavaskar said on The Extra Innings Show on the Sony Sports Network ahead of the start of the 2nd India vs Bangladesh Test.
Bergkamp will go down in history as arguably the biggest Gunner legend of all time, having represented the club in 423 matches and scored 120 goals. Henry is a close second with 228 goals in all competitions between 1999 and 2007. Considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, Henry is Arsenal’s all-time leading goal-scorer and has won two FA Cups and as many EPL titles with the Gunners; he was also a part of the club during the 2003-04 season when Arsenal ended invincible in the Premier League.
Gavaskar then surprisingly turned his attention to Ganguly, another football fanatic, revealing that the ex-BCCI president has been in possession of the shirt signed by the former Arsenal captain and vowed to take it back during the upcoming India vs Sri Lanka series starting next month.
“Sourav Ganguly… hello? Where is that shirt? I am coming to Kolkata for the game on the 12th and Sourav, you better this time – I don’t want any excuses. You are no longer the BCCI president. You have a little more time on your hands. Find that shirt which Henry had signed for me and please give it to me when I come there on the 12th,” added Gavaskar.
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