Sayanora to Jumbo & Dada

Kumble (aka Jumbo) & Ganguly (aka Dada,Prince of Kolkata) are retiring from cricket but they will never leave our cricketing hearts. Yes this isnt the last we see of them. We might see them among the elite panel of Selectors or maybe among those to hold mike and comment about the way cricket was played and cricket will be played.

I still see a bright future in them through media or performing the duties in their own state. How have they succeeded in this cricketing world? How they have won millions of Indian hearts to go out there to watch their heroes play?

The answer to all the How questions is just simple and straight forward. They loved their cricket and played with spirit. Isn't that very simple. Yes people would argue with me that you need talent , you need luck , you need to have influence to enter the cricketing world. But these are top reasons that made them big. What made them big, and made the cricketing world look up to them was the reasons that i cited earlier.

But it has been a fitting farewell for both these stalwarts in Indian cricket. Anil Kumble last test series as captain has been won against OZ. Ganguly's last series win also takes him to a different genre of cricketers who is regarded the best Indian captain till date. His debut Century in Lord's, England and his Golden duck at Nagpur here in India against the OZ emulates the great legendary cricketer Sir Donald Bradman who got out in similar scores.

Yes it time for us to move on. Cricket is beyond cricketing heroes , new heroes are born , new commanders lead and cricket still goes on.

A File photo of Kumble and Ganguly together