Sourav Ganguly with his Mercedes CLS

Sourav Ganguly may have got the boot as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders in South Africa but he can look forward to being in the driver’s seat of a BMW on returning home.

The beleaguered Behala boy has booked an Imperial Blue version of the latest beauty in the BMW fleet — the 7 series 730Ld — as an upgrade to his 2004 Mercedes convertible. “Yes, we are getting a BMW home in a few weeks,” wife Dona confirmed to Metro on Friday.

The 2979cc diesel model carries an on-road price tag of Rs 81.5 lakh, a fraction of the amount Sourav will earn from his stint with Shah Rukh Khan’s John Buchanan-managed team.

According to OSL Prestige, the lone BMW dealer in the city, the model is yet to be launched in India and Sourav’s car will be shipped factory-fresh from Munich.

Like Sourav’s batting, the 730Ld is said to be a blend of elegance and power. “With its dynamic proportions, low and stretched side view, sculpted surfaces and the trademark BMW kidney grille with the blue and white propeller badge on the wide sloping bonnet, the car is a sight to behold and a dream drive,” said a BMW spokesperson from Delhi.

Dona admitted to flipping for the car after a test drive in another BMW model a day before Holi. “I had been arguing with Sourav about spending so much on just a car. But the test drive changed my mind. Our daughter Sana loved it, too,” she said.

Does that mean the Merc didn’t meet their requirements?

“Our Merc is a convertible but Sourav can never step out in Calcutta with the roof drawn back, which is when you feel most comfortable in that car. That is why we have been thinking about buying another car for a long time,” explained Dona.

A BMW 730Ld

The red-top convertible was an upgrade to the Mercedes “C” class that Sahara India had gifted the former Team India captain. “He got himself a CLS by paying Rs 30 lakh extra,” said Hiteswar Singh, the CEO of Merc dealer Interkrafts.

Sourav’s new set of luxury wheels is loaded with features like gas pedal and steering-assistance control.

The car promises to go from 0 to 100kmph in six seconds, though Sourav might find it impossible to try that with his latest toy in the lanes of Behala.

For entertainment, the new Ganguly family car will have a 6-DVD changer along with an 80GB hard disk and TV module that includes two 9.2 inch screens integrated in the front-seat backrests and independent rear-seat controls.

The feature Sourav might appreciate the most at the end of a tiring IPL2 are the massager-equipped seats that soothe the limbs while you cruise. Anybody know of a car seat that massages bruised egos?