‘Sourav Ganguly… hello?’ – Sunil Gavaskar’s unusual message for former Indian Captain

Sunil Gavaskar and Sourav Ganguly are two of the greatest cricketers from India to ever play the game. They even have the same initials and have each amassed 10,000 runs in ODIs and Tests, respectively. Gavaskar and Ganguly are both football fans, incidentally.

Ganguly was one of Atletico de Kolkata’s founding members in 2014, and he was also essential to the merger with Mohun Bagan. Gavaskar, on the other hand, admitted that he has long been an avid supporter of the English Premier League team Arsenal. Gavaskar has always had a soft spot for two of Arsenal FC’s greatest players in particular, though he is not so much a fan as an admirer.

“I’ve been an Arsenal follower – I won’t say a fan so much – been a follower for a long time. I used to tease my son who is a Manchester United fan that I am an Arsenal fan and he would ask ‘Tell me 4 names from the Arsenal team’. I would say, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp. Even Arsene Wenger is an uncanny lookalike of my hero ML Jaisimha, so that’s an additional factor. Henry was someone who I really admired watching and he also has signed a shirt for me,” Gavaskar said on The Extra Innings Show on the Sony Sports Network ahead of the start of the 2nd India vs Bangladesh Test.

I don’t want any excuses: Sunil Gavaskar

Then, unexpectedly, Gavaskar focused on Ganguly, a fellow football enthusiast, revealing that the former Indian Cricket Board president had been in possession of the shirt autographed by the former Arsenal captain and had promised to take it during the upcoming series between India and Sri Lanka, which will begin next month.

“Sourav Ganguly… hello? Where is that shirt? I am coming to Kolkata for the game on the 12th and Sourav, you better this time – I don’t want any excuses. You are no longer the BCCI president. You have a little more time on your hands. Find that shirt which Henry had signed for me and please give it to me when I come there on the 12th,” added Gavaskar.