New Delhi, June 2: V.V.S. Laxman on Tuesday paid tribute to Sourav Ganguly, saying the former India captain was "unconventional and fiercely proud" and always wore his heart on his sleeve.

"Unconventional and fiercely proud, Sourav Ganguly wore his heart on his sleeve. And, sometimes, bared it too!" said Laxman while tweeting the famous Lord's balcony picture when Ganguly took off his shirt after India defeated England in the NatWest Trophy final.

On July 13, 2002, India had successfully chased down a stiff target of 326 with two wickets and three balls to spare. This was one of India's greatest ODI wins considering at one stage, they were 146/5. Thanks to Mohammad Kaif (87 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (69), India clinched a famous win.

"Empowering youngsters who went on to do wonders for the country was credit to his great leadership qualities," he further said about the current BCCI President.

Ganguly, counted as one of India's most successful captains, played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs in which he scored 7,212 and 11,363 runs respectively.

Laxman had on Sunday revealed that over the next few days, he would be paying tribute to some of the cricketers he's played alongside and who've had an influence on him and his career. He started with Sachin Tendulkar and on Monday he paid tribute to Anil Kumble.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2020 03:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).