Calcutta: Describing Sourav Ganguly as a “magnificent cricketer”, Sunil Gavaskar pointed out they had much in common — not just their initials.

“For one, both of us are cancerians (born two days, but many years, apart) and then both have been very passionate playing for India,” the legendary former India captain remarked at the launch of Sourav Ganguly, The Maharaja Of Cricket — a book written by city-based journalist Debasish Datta.

It was released here on Thursday afternoon.

While Gavaskar made it a point to wish Sourav the “very best” in the forthcoming World Cup and hoped that his “starts” would help Team India bring back the World Cup, he did not forget to mention the awesome presence which the late Pankaj Roy had in an era when only the basic protective equipment was available.

Gavaskar hoped that the passion generated by Sourav would translate into more players from Bengal making it onto the biggest stage. He has already tipped Ranadeb Bose and Manoj Tewari to go the distance.