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Time of India
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Changed Indian cricket forever': Yuvraj Singh hails Sourav Ganguly on his 53rd birthday
Sourav Ganguly turned 53 on July 8 Sourav Ganguly, one of Indian cricket 's most iconic captains, turned 53 on Tuesday, and birthday wishes poured in from several of his former teammates, including Yuvraj Singh , Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina . Yuvraj, who flourished under Ganguly's leadership, took to Instagram to write: 'Wishing a very happy birthday to the Dada of Indian cricket who always backed his boys, took on the world and boldly changed Indian cricket forever. Lots of Love always.' Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly (Screengrab via Instagram) Kaif, another trusted member of the early-2000s squad, praised Ganguly's talent-spotting abilities. 'Wishing a very Happy Birthday to the man who had a rare eye for talent and the courage to back it. Thank you Dada for changing Indian cricket forever. So loved, so respected yet so humble,' Kaif wrote on X. Mohammad Kaif on X (Screengrab via X) Suresh Raina, who debuted in Ganguly's final years, posted: 'Your leadership changed the face of Indian cricket & inspired generations… Thank you for always showing us how to lead with courage and heart.' Suresh Raina on X Ganguly, nicknamed 'Dada', made a sensational debut in 1996 with a century at Lord's, followed by another ton in the next Test — becoming just the third batter to score hundreds in each of his first two innings. As captain from 2000, he revived Indian cricket post the match-fixing crisis, taking the team to the 2000 ICC Knockout final, 2001 series win over Australia, 2002 NatWest Trophy triumph and the 2003 World Cup final. Across 113 Tests, Ganguly scored 7,212 runs; in 311 ODIs, he amassed 11,363 runs. He is among India's highest run-getters in both formats and one of its most successful captains — winning 21 Tests and 76 ODIs. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
The Citizen
21-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
SA's cricket heroes return home to jubilant celebration
After ending a 27-year wait to win an International Cricket Council's Test Championship (ICC), the national men's cricket team, Proteas Men, have only just started to build momentum towards a culture of winning. In a thrilling final against Australia, the Proteas Men secured a historic victory with a five-wicket win on day four at Lord's in England on Saturday. This was the first senior Men's trophy since the 1998 ICC Knockout victory. 'We hope that this can be the start of a lot more of these trophies. As much as we have achieved what we achieved in the past 18 – 24 months, this is not a big legacy as of yet. We will speak again in two to three years. We want to start a culture of winning trophies for the country,' Proteas men's Captain Temba Bavuma said in Johannesburg at a media briefing. The men's national cricket team received an electrifying welcome with jubilation, song and dance from supporters on their arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, on Wednesday morning. 'Seeing so many people welcome us at the airport was quite overwhelming. It was different from the last time we came back from the world cup in 2023. You don't really realise what you have done until you start to interact with people. 'To see the emotion, to hear the things they have got to say; it gives you an insight into what we have done. As a team we are proud that we have been able to achieve something like this, but we are even happier that we have made our people proud,' Bavuma said. This marked South Africa's first-ever appearance in a World Test Championship Final, and their triumphant performance signalled a landmark achievement for the nation's cricketing history. This as Australia, currently ranked number one in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, entered the final as favourites and defending champions. The Proteas, ranked second, rose to the occasion and delivered a memorable performance, cementing their status as one of the world's elite test sides. The Captain expressed how the team's journey has not been an easy one. 'As a team we have our story. It wasn't a simple and easy one. We have overcome a lot and managed to get to where we are. The biggest thing is that we have embraced everything that means to be a South African,' he said. The cricket team hopes this inspires budding cricketers and the nation. 'Similarly to them, in their quest, their journey for what they want to achieve, as long as they keep having that passion, keep pushing against what people think is the unachievable. 'We have been confident enough that we have been playing good cricket. We have been getting ourselves in a position where we can be in finals. Just like with anything, you got to keep going and keep being relentless. 'There was always that belief that at some point the harder we knock on that door, that it was going to happen,' Bavuma said. He said the beauty about international cricket is that there is always more games to play. 'There's the Zimbabwe tournament that leads into the start of the new test cycle [which] we will be setting our eyes on what we want to achieve over there. There is always something that we are working towards, it's a legacy that we want to achieve [and] and trying to put together as a team. 'The legacy is not done yet. For now, we want to enjoy what this moment has brought to us,' Bavuma said. Cricket South Africa's (CSA) head of national teams, Enoch Nkwe, said this victory will have a huge impact on generations to come. He said this restores a lot of faith and belief in South African cricket. 'We look at this format as a foundation to key fundamentals to other formats and the growth of cricket, not only in South Africa, but globally. What is encouraging is this is going to motivate a 15-year-old. We are going to ensure from behind the scenes that will continue to build these building blocks through this format,' Nkwe said. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, said the team's win gives the nation hope. 'People should see themselves when they watch our national teams, and that is what we are doing in cricket. They are following in the footsteps of rugby. We are a socially cohesive country [and] a rainbow nation, and you can see this. 'We are the best sporting nation in the world. We have the strongest women and men in the world. We have the fastest runners, the best soccer players, [and] we have the best rugby players and cricket team,' the Minister said. The Proteas men's head coach Shukri Conrad also expressed his joy at the warm reception the team received upon their arrival at the airport. 'I am absolutely ecstatic to see people come out in their hundreds. It makes this win even more special. We won a few days ago but it hasn't sunk in. To get a reception like this… it starts to sink in. The guys have been great, but the fans have been better,' Conrad said. – At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
21-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Proteas building a legacy of winning trophies
After ending a 27-year wait to win an International Cricket Council's Test Championship (ICC), the national men's cricket team, Proteas Men, have only just started to build momentum towards a culture of winning. In a thrilling final against Australia, the Proteas Men secured a historic victory with a five-wicket win on day four at Lord's in England on Saturday. This was the first senior Men's trophy since the 1998 ICC Knockout victory. 'We hope that this can be the start of a lot more of these trophies. As much as we have achieved what we achieved in the past 18 – 24 months, this is not a big legacy as of yet. We will speak again in two to three years. We want to start a culture of winning trophies for the country,' Proteas men's Captain Temba Bavuma said in Johannesburg at a media briefing. The men's national cricket team received an electrifying welcome with jubilation, song and dance from supporters on their arrival at OR Tambo International Airport, on Wednesday morning. 'Seeing so many people welcome us at the airport was quite overwhelming. It was different from the last time we came back from the world cup in 2023. You don't really realise what you have done until you start to interact with people. 'To see the emotion, to hear the things they have got to say; it gives you an insight into what we have done. As a team we are proud that we have been able to achieve something like this, but we are even happier that we have made our people proud,' Bavuma said. This marked South Africa's first-ever appearance in a World Test Championship Final, and their triumphant performance signalled a landmark achievement for the nation's cricketing history. This as Australia, currently ranked number one in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, entered the final as favourites and defending champions. The Proteas, ranked second, rose to the occasion and delivered a memorable performance, cementing their status as one of the world's elite test sides. The Captain expressed how the team's journey has not been an easy one. 'As a team we have our story. It wasn't a simple and easy one. We have overcome a lot and managed to get to where we are. The biggest thing is that we have embraced everything that means to be a South African,' he said. The cricket team hopes this inspires budding cricketers and the nation. 'Similarly to them, in their quest, their journey for what they want to achieve, as long as they keep having that passion, keep pushing against what people think is the unachievable. 'We have been confident enough that we have been playing good cricket. We have been getting ourselves in a position where we can be in finals. Just like with anything, you got to keep going and keep being relentless. 'There was always that belief that at some point the harder we knock on that door, that it was going to happen,' Bavuma said. He said the beauty about international cricket is that there is always more games to play. 'There's the Zimbabwe tournament that leads into the start of the new test cycle [which] we will be setting our eyes on what we want to achieve over there. There is always something that we are working towards, it's a legacy that we want to achieve [and] and trying to put together as a team. 'The legacy is not done yet. For now, we want to enjoy what this moment has brought to us,' Bavuma said. Cricket South Africa's (CSA) head of national teams, Enoch Nkwe, said this victory will have a huge impact on generations to come. He said this restores a lot of faith and belief in South African cricket. 'We look at this format as a foundation to key fundamentals to other formats and the growth of cricket, not only in South Africa, but globally. What is encouraging is this is going to motivate a 15-year-old. We are going to ensure from behind the scenes that will continue to build these building blocks through this format,' Nkwe said. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, said the team's win gives the nation hope. 'People should see themselves when they watch our national teams, and that is what we are doing in cricket. They are following in the footsteps of rugby. We are a socially cohesive country [and] a rainbow nation, and you can see this. 'We are the best sporting nation in the world. We have the strongest women and men in the world. We have the fastest runners, the best soccer players, [and] we have the best rugby players and cricket team,' the Minister said. The Proteas men's head coach Shukri Conrad also expressed his joy at the warm reception the team received upon their arrival at the airport. 'I am absolutely ecstatic to see people come out in their hundreds. It makes this win even more special. We won a few days ago but it hasn't sunk in. To get a reception like this… it starts to sink in. The guys have been great, but the fans have been better,' Conrad said. – At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Gayton McKenzie hints at bonuses for Proteas as Temba Bavuma's side arrives home
After ending a 27-year wait to win an International Cricket Council's Test Championship (ICC), the Proteas have only just started to build momentum towards a culture of winning. In a thrilling final against Australia, the Proteas secured a historic victory with a five-wicket win on day four at Lord's in England on Saturday. This was the first senior men's trophy since the 1998 ICC Knockout victory. 'We hope that this can be the start of a lot more of these trophies. As much as we have achieved what we achieved in the past 18 to 24 months, this is not a big legacy as of yet. We will speak again in two to three years. We want to start a culture of winning trophies for the country,' Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said in Johannesburg at a media briefing. The team received an electrifying welcome with jubilation, song and dance from supporters on their arrival at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning. 'Seeing so many people welcome us at the airport was quite overwhelming. It was different from the last time we came back from the World Cup in 2023. You don't really realise what you have done until you start to interact with people. 'To see the emotion, to hear the things they have got to say; it gives you an insight into what we have done. As a team we are proud that we have been able to achieve something like this, but we are even happier that we have made our people proud,' Bavuma said. This marked South Africa's first-ever appearance in a World Test Championship Final, and their triumphant performance signalled a landmark achievement for the nation's cricketing history. This as Australia, currently ranked number one in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, entered the final as favourites and defending champions. The Proteas, ranked second, rose to the occasion and delivered a memorable performance, cementing their status as one of the world's elite Test sides. Bavuma expressed how the team's journey has not been an easy one. 'As a team we have our story. It wasn't a simple and easy one. We have overcome a lot and managed to get to where we are. The biggest thing is that we have embraced everything that means to be a South African,' he said. The cricket team hopes this inspires budding cricketers and the nation. 'Similarly to them, in their quest, their journey for what they want to achieve, as long as they keep having that passion, keep pushing against what people think is the unachievable. 'We have been confident enough that we have been playing good cricket. We have been getting ourselves in a position where we can be in finals. Just like with anything, you got to keep going and keep being relentless. 'There was always that belief that at some point the harder we knock on that door, that it was going to happen,' Bavuma said. He said the beauty about international cricket is that there is always more games to play. 'There's the Zimbabwe tournament that leads into the start of the new Test cycle [which] we will be setting our eyes on what we want to achieve over there. There is always something that we are working towards, it's a legacy that we want to achieve [and] and trying to put together as a team. 'The legacy is not done yet. For now, we want to enjoy what this moment has brought to us,' Bavuma said. Cricket South Africa's (CSA) head of national teams, Enoch Nkwe, said this victory will have a huge impact on generations to come. He said this restores a lot of faith and belief in South African cricket. 'We look at this format as a foundation to key fundamentals to other formats and the growth of cricket, not only in South Africa, but globally. What is encouraging is this is going to motivate a 15-year-old. We are going to ensure from behind the scenes that will continue to build these building blocks through this format,' Nkwe said. Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, said the team's win gives the nation hope. 'People should see themselves when they watch our national teams, and that is what we are doing in cricket. They are following in the footsteps of rugby. We are a socially cohesive country [and] a rainbow nation, and you can see this. 'We are the best sporting nation in the world. We have the strongest women and men in the world. We have the fastest runners, the best soccer players, [and] we have the best rugby players and cricket team,' the Minister said. 'You know the difference with this team … Shukri Conrad is the best coach in the world, but one thing he did with this team is make them believe. 'They don't need motivation. We believed they were going to win. Conrad believed they were going to win and they believed they were going to win. It's the recipe for where we are today. 'They say cometh the hour, cometh the man. Temba Bavuma, he rose at the right time. Temba means hope, and he brought hope to the nation.' McKenzie also hailed the team's diversity, drawing comparisons with the Springboks, who are loved by all people from all walks of life in the country. 'People should see themselves when they watch our national teams. White kids must see themselves. Coloured kids must see themselves. Black and Indian kids must see themselves. That is what the Proteas are doing here,' the minister said. 'They are following in the footsteps of the Springboks. We are a socially cohesive country … we are the rainbow nation. A black captain in Temba Bavuma and the children are singing his name, children from all creeds and colours.' McKenzie also hinted that there will be an announcement about bonuses for the team. 'We will talk about that later,' McKenzie said. 'We have got so many winners, all these bonuses can bankrupt the country!' Proteas men's head coach Shukri Conrad also expressed his joy at the warm reception the team received upon their arrival at the airport. 'I am absolutely ecstatic to see people come out in their hundreds. It makes this win even more special. We won a few days ago but it hasn't sunk in. To get a reception like this… it starts to sink in. The guys have been great, but the fans have been better,' Conrad said. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
16-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
When do the Proteas return to South Africa?
This past weekend, the Proteas secured the ICC World Test Championship at Lord's, famously defeating Australia by five wickets on day four of the final. It ended a 27-year wait for ICC success, as this was the first senior Men's trophy since the 1998 ICC Knockout victory. There were tears and cheers as South Africa ended decades of heartache in ICC 'finals', while it was also an eighth consecutive Test victory for Bavuma and his team, notched on four different continents. Considering the weight of this achievement, there is no doubt that hundreds of fans will want to ensure there is an especially warm welcome for the team upon their return to South Africa. It's been confirmed that South Africa will arrive back at OR Tambo International on Wednesday at around 09:25 (SA time). 'The next time we see Shukri and his team, we will welcome them as the ICC World Test Champions!' CSA Director of National Teams and High Performance Enoch Nkwe declared. Before that welcome, the team may well have to pass through O.R Tambo International Airport customs, so that they can declare a rather significant piece of international history that they are bringing back into the country. 'This moment is a reminder that no dream is too distant, no challenge insurmountable and no legacy too heavy to carry forward,' Nkwe added. 'I commend the unwavering commitment demonstrated by each player, both on and off the field. Reaching this milestone, coupled with remarkable key performances, will undoubtedly be etched into the history books,' Nkwe added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
