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Was a fan of Ganguly even before I understood cricket fully: Soumya Sarkar

Soumya did manage to meet Ganguly during an Under-17 tour to Kolkata but the youngster just could not muster enough courage to go and talk to his hero.

Was a fan of Ganguly even before I understood cricket fully: Soumya Sarkar

Sourav Ganguly (L) and Soumya Sarkar. (Photo: Instagram/@sourvaganguly/AFP)

Bangladesh batsman Soumya Sarkar is an ardent admirer of Sourav Ganguly and like the former Indian skipper, he is also a left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium pacer.

In a recent revelation, he stated that he adopted this style after receiving advice from his brother Pushpen Sarkar. The 27-year-old cricketer is one of Bangladesh’s talented top-order batsman across all formats.

As a young child, Soumya was a fan of Ganguly’s cover drives and the lofted shots he played over the spinners’ heads. During his career, Ganguly was a nightmare for a left-arm spinner as he would simply dance down to the pitch of the ball with remarkable grace and send the ball rows back into the stands with ease.

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“My life’s first cricket hero was Sourav Ganguly. I was a fan of him even before I understood cricket fully. One day my brother said, ‘You will be a left-handed batsman like Ganguly and bowl right-arm medium pace’. I’m not a natural left-hander, I started it after my brother’s advice. Except batting, I do all my work with the right-hand,” Sarkar was quoted as saying in bdnews24.

“I used to watch Sourav play on TV along with my brother. That time, an India-Pakistan game had a separate fanbase. While growing up, I became a fan of his cover-drive. And hitting the spinners by stepping out was incredible,” he added.

Soumya did manage to meet Ganguly during an Under-17 tour to Kolkata but the youngster just could not muster enough courage to go and talk to his hero but rather watched him in awe.

Sarkar also became a fan of Yuvraj Singh. He lauded him for his fearless style of play and for being a selfless cricketer.

“After growing up, Yuvraj Singh became my favourite cricketer. I loved his aggressive style of batting from the word go. He used to change the course of the game pretty quickly. He didn’t spare anyone and was fearless. Even I wish to play like him,” Sarkar said in the same interview.

“When I met Yuvraj, he asked me to have self-belief. He told me that I have the potential to turn the course of any match. He also advised me to not lose faith no matter how bad the situation is,” Soumya added.

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