So Close, Yet So Far: Ganguly Talks About His Unfinished Centuries

Sourav Ganguly has always been known for his honesty, both on and off the field. In a recent conversation, the former India captain opened up about the one thing that still bothers him from an otherwise remarkable career: not converting more of his starts into centuries.

Here’s what he shared:

Ganguly admitted that getting out in the 80s and 90s—something that happened to him 30 times—still stings. He said he often catches himself watching old highlights and thinking, “I should have turned that 70 into a hundred.”

Despite scoring nearly 19,000 international runs and 38 centuries, he feels he could have easily crossed 50 hundreds if he’d just pushed on a little more in those moments.

He also talked about how he racked up 72 ODI fifties and 35 in Tests, and how turning more of those into triple figures would have made his record even stronger.

Ganguly didn’t just dwell on the numbers. He reflected on tough captaincy calls, like dropping Anil Kumble for team balance, and shared that facing Australia was always a thrill—while Glenn McGrath was the one bowler he truly respected (and maybe feared a little).

Even with these regrets, Ganguly’s legacy as a bold leader and elegant batsman is secure. But it’s clear he still thinks about what might have been if he’d managed to convert just a few more of those promising innings.

Source: Economic Times, Times of India, Times Now, News18, Mid-Day