Sourav Ganguly
I cherish my entire life. I've been blessed with a life full of good memories.Collection: Life
In life when you get tested, when you get rejected by everyone and when you get pushed aside, you actually get the best out of it. That has been a learning curve for me.Collection: Learning
Mistakes do happen and life goes on.
I didn't have a good time with Lancashire in 2000. Probably I'd played too much cricket and should have taken a rest, but I went there when the offer came because I had always had an ambition to play the county game in England. And I was a bit jaded. And I didn't do myself justice. I want to put that right before I finish my career.
As much as you learn to handle failure, you must learn to handle success too, because that's also important.
Any captain will take some time to settle down. Nobody is an outstanding leader straightaway.
Bangladesh, despite producing big upsets in the past, doesn't have the art of beating big teams consistently.
I made it pretty clear that if I'm captain, the best team has to play.
In world cricket, I think Joe Root is a fine captain.
When you are successful, there is the pressure of performing consistently; when you are not, there is the pressure of coming back and doing well.
They say with age your reflexes slow down. I've not felt it.
Fatherhood has changed me, I've become more patient.
I lost my captaincy after winning the series 2-0, and also getting a Test match 100. I never captained India after that. I couldn't play one-day cricket in spite of being the best ODI player in the world at that time.
One-day cricket must be taken with equal importance to Test cricket.
As captain you're involved immensely. You get worked up, you get carried away. It slowly dies down once you're a player. You realise you've to take the back seat.
Absolutely, I used to run very fast between the wickets.
It's my one aim, my dream to win a series overseas.
A good opening stand is always crucial for a team.
I used to watch Manchester United a lot when David Beckham was there, but not any more now he's gone.
Fortunately, being on TV has led me to have a stylist. I generally pick up what I want to wear, and get my stylist's approval for it.
When you're captain you get involved in a lot of things. You're trying to get the best out of players and subconsciously, without knowing, it gets to you.
I don't believe in rankings. Sometimes the rankings surprise me. I don't think it's fair to judge a team on the basis of rankings.
There is no doubt that Nathan Lyon is a great spinner but so were Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Graeme Swann.
I love going to England and discovering new places in the countryside. I love the English weather and the freedom that the place gives.
Administrators guide players and I have played for such a long time, I understand how it feels as a player. You can say I am a player's administrator.
I live in the present and do not look that far ahead.
I've realised what my strengths are and what my strengths are not, and played accordingly.
Health starts in the head and goes to the heart and other parts of the body.
But obviously captaincy is a long process. It takes its toll as time goes on.
I was a firm believer that every cricketer needs to get a fair chance.
I love playing England. The teas at Lord's are good quality.
That's why every cricketer wants to play international cricket. First of all you're playing for your country, secondly there's a lot of media attention and thirdly, for India, there is so much support for us, especially in England. So you know what you are doing is important, and that motivates you, helps you get going.
On Edens Gardens pitch, nobody bowls well.
My captaincy model was characterised by two distinctive pillars. Proper identification of talent and then ensuring the young finds play fearless cricket.
Everything in life is about standing up and making the most of your opportunities.
My brother was a left-hander. When I was young, my father would say take your brother's gloves and pads and play, so I picked up the bat left-handed.
IPL is pure sport. The glitz and glamour is just 15 per cent. 85% is actually professional, hard cricket.
Sometimes as a player you do not want to get into a controversy.
Running-between-the-wickets is the ability to convert ones into twos, twos into threes, and threes into fours. And to reach the wickets on time.
When you play cricket for India, you are always under the scanner. You are always judged by others; you have to live up to it all.
There is nobody called Test bowler, one day bowler or T20 bowler. It just how you adapt and make a difference to your own game.
That happens on a cricket field. People have a go at each other. That's fair, that's fine. It's called Test cricket. It's not a day in the park.
A captain sees you differently from the way you see yourself. You need a captain who can push you.
I think nobody has the right to talk about Sachin Tendulkar's game. It's just a phenomenon.
In 2000 I became captain and stayed till 2005, and this was a very successful time in Indian cricket, so it was a satisfying tenure for me.
Rishabh Pant whenever he has got away from Delhi on good pitches, hard pitches where there is carry, he has been exceptional with the bat.
In 1992, I was part of the Test team and played the Tri-series too. But, I missed the World Cup after being left out of the squad since I was fairly young.
I played my first World Cup game against South Africa where I scored 97 runs before being run-out by Jonty Rhodes.
Kohli is a huge addition to the side not just because of his batting but with his attitude as well. He lifts everyone on the field. There is so much passion in his cricket.
If you are considered as favourites, you have stand up and deliver. You can't make too many mistakes. You have to be the best.