As Sourav Ganguly Turns 53, Here's A Look Back at His Iconic Shirt Twirling Celebration at Lord's

The legendary legacy of Sourav Ganguly in Indian cricket is forever secured - the former India captain scored 18,575 international runs across formats, as well as accumulating 38 centuries in the course of his career. Aside from that, he is credited with being the skipper who added some much-needed bite and aggression to Indian cricket. 

However, Ganguly - who turns 53 on July 8, 2025 - is also remembered for the time when he chose to celebrate an Indian victory at Lord's by taking off his shirt and twirling it over his head, all while shouting some NSFW language in the process. The moment can be seen in the video below at around the 17:32 mark. 

Here we take a look at the circumstances that led to the moment - and why England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was the one who triggered it during a series in India. 

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One of The Greatest ODIs of All Time - And an All-time Celebration

Even without the shirt twirl, this match is undoubtedly one of the most iconic wins for Indian cricket. It was the final of the Natwest Cup tri-series, and it was a match that did not seem to favour India too much. 

After England skipper Nasser Hussain opted to bat first, two centuries from Marcus Trescothick and Hussain himself saw England set India a steep target of 326 to win. 

India made a solid enough start thanks to Ganguly (60) and Virender Sehwag (45), but a middle order wobble saw them reduced to 146-5 in the 24th over - a win seemed all but gone at that point in time. 

However, a valuable 126-run stand between Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif for the 6th wicket brought India back into the game. Yuvraj was dismissed for 69 but Kaif batted through, eventually taking India home with 2 wickets to spare. 

And it was that moment which led to Ganguly choosing to go topless and celebrate the victory. 

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Flintoff's Mumbai Provocation Leads to Lord's Retribution

However, it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment reaction from Ganguly - instead, it had everything to do with what Flintoff had done in India a few months prior. 

Back then, Flintoff's final over in an ODI vs India in Mumbai saw England clinch a narrow win and the all-rounder celebrated by taking his own shirt off. 

Indian fans and players did not forget Flintoff's slight, and Ganguly made sure to pay him back in kind when he got the chance.