Kamal Ghorui
LUCKNOW: The image of then Indian captain Sourav Ganguly twirling his T-shirt from the Lord’s balcony after the NatWest Trophy triumph in 2002 remains etched in the memory of cricket lovers. For some, it was a fitting response to Andrew Flintoff’s similar gesture in India after an England victory; for others, it clashed with the sport’s “gentlemanly” image.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!What is less known, however, is that Ganguly had initially wanted the entire team to join him — an idea that was quietly vetoed by Sachin Tendulkar.The anecdote was shared by BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla during the TOISA event, when he was asked about his most cherished cricketing memory.
Shukla said the NatWest Trophy final between India and England at Lord’s on July 13, 2002, tops his list. Then serving as team manager, he recalled the emotional rollercoaster of the historic night.“It was a great team with a blend of experience and youth, and we reached the final without much difficulty. In the final, England posted a mammoth 325, and I started panicking as we had to chase history to lift the trophy.“Virender Sehwag assured me there was nothing to worry about. He opened the innings with Ganguly and forged a century partnership in 14 overs. But in the next nine overs, we were 146/5.“But the two youngsters, Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh, played exceptionally well and scripted one of India’s most famous wins.”ALSO READ: Red carpet, real heroes: TOISA unites Olympians, world champions and para-starsThe celebrations that followed were just as dramatic.“Ganguly told me to ask the team to take off their T-shirts and celebrate. But Sachin advised against it, saying it wouldn’t look appropriate. I agreed with him,” Shukla said.“But no one could stop Ganguly. He went out alone to the Lord’s balcony and waved his T-shirt in the air — a moment that has since become one of the most iconic images in cricketing history.”
