Ganguly has a way of taking over your timeline, and this time it was with a bit of a masterclass in banter. In a neighbourhood game, the ex-captain put 132 together from 68, and you can tell the clip is all about what we used to like: the audacity, the timing, and that bit of a smile on his face while he did it.
Why this went viral
If you are of the generation that grew up with Dada’s collar up and some off-side wizardry, this is more than just a reel. It harks back to the fearlessness he put into the game, the sort of attitude that had us thinking we could hold our own in England or Australia. His mark on the culture is hard to overstate. He showed India how to put up a fight, give young guns a run and be in charge. So when you see him in a street game, it has a weight to it.
The innings that lit up the lane
He didn’t get off to the best of starts. First ball shaped in and he was done for a dot. But then he found his groove and the rest was a montage of sorts. A 50 in 33, a hundred in 58. You come to 132 off 68 and it doesn’t seem like a surprise after you’ve seen him put one over the bowler or through extra cover.
Banter, throwbacks, and one-upmanship
Full-on sledge mode. He was having a go at the bowlers and fielders in between, but in that Dada way – cheeky, but you can’t help but like it. Some of the lads made a point of his 131 on Test debut before he even got in. He made sure to top it with 132. Later on, the wicket-keeper put in for a little Lord’s shirt-wave and you could see they were all in on the joke.
The street rules and the narrow escapes
There is a certain theatre to local cricket and he was part of it. Two lives in the session, and the first one at 75 didn’t faze him in the least. If anything, he got a bit more of a swagger in his stroke-play. He did get caught in the end, but it was hardly the story. The video had already made its point: old Dada can still do it.
The platform behind the moment
This one is from Gully Crickett on Instagram, who have half a million eyes on them. They have a way of putting a spin on street cricket that is more about character than being overly produced. They’ve had Tim David, Rinku Singh, Romario Shepherd and even Pietersen on there. But with Ganguly it was a different vibe. Not just for the name, but for the memories it stirs up.
What the shots told us
Get him going and you see the hallmarks. A loose one gets punished, he will thread the off-side, and he has no problem walking down to hit a spinner. It’s the work of a man who has always let his timing do the talking. In a world of 15-second highlights, this was class, served with a grin.
A legacy that keeps echoing
It’s not just about the runs. Ganguly was a turning point for how we think as a team. He was the one to put his hand on the shoulder of Yuvraj, Sehwag, Harbhajan, Zaheer and make us a side that could be with it anywhere in the world.
Watching him in a lane for an hour or so brings that back. It’s a reminder of why he is still the face of a certain kind of boldness. Here is what you will be re-watching: – 33 balls to 50, and the pace is set – 58 for the century, and you can feel the room – A couple of lives, first at 75, to keep you on edge – 132 off 68, to put 131 in the shade – The wicket-keeper’s jibe about Lord’s, and the good humour that followed
What comes next
The numbers on the post are only part of it; the rest is pure nostalgia. It is proof that a well-filmed gully game can have more of an impact than some of the slicker stuff if you have the right star in front of the camera.
And who better than Dada? The swing, the words, the confidence – it’s a formula that has yet to fail him.
