Team playing good cricket under pressure will excel: Sourav Ganguly as IPL 2025 begins

Speaking at an event of Natraj Pipes, Ganguly said, "All teams are equally strong and the best team would win on a given day. So let's see. Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat are strong teams.

"We can never discount CSK. A team like RCB where Virat Kohli plays have to be strong. Punjab is also a good team. Teams that would play good cricket under pressure would excel."

Ganguly made the remark as defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the opening match in the 18th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).

The cash rich IPL, which has turned out to be a revolution in T20 cricket, started in 2008 with a similar KKR-RCB match where former Kiwi batter Brendon McCullum played a blistering knock of 158 off 73 balls.

Ganguly, a former Indian cricket board (BCCI) president, was the first batter to face a ball in the history of IPL.

Reminiscing his past memories of IPL, the southpaw told IBNS, "It was a great honour. I was the captain of KKR for the first three years, played the first ball in IPL and it was the part of a fabulous game against RCB on that night in Bangalore when Brendon McCullum got 100 and we got 230 in 20 overs and that actually set the ball rolling for the IPL.

"I was the part of many such in Indian cricket. It's a great tournament and it gets stronger with every passing year. It has become more watchable with more fans with more viewership. It has gotten better."

Ganguly led KKR in two seasons in 2008 and 2010. The cricket icon, who went unsold in 2011 IPL auction, was later absorbed in the now inoperative franchise, Pune Warriors India (PWI).

He also captained PWI in the 2012 season.