Sourav Ganguly, former India skipper and ex-BCCI chief, has put his name forward for the presidency of the Cricket Association of Bengal. With no rival nominations lodged before Friday’s deadline, the 52-year-old is virtually certain to replace elder brother Snehasish when members vote on 22 September.
“I would like to thank everyone for their support,” Ganguly said in a short CAB release. “At CAB, there is no opposition. Everyone is a part of this association. We will all work together to take CAB and Bengal cricket ahead.
“There are important events coming up – Eden Gardens’ India v South Africa Test, [matches of the men’s] T20 World Cup, Bengal Pro T20 League. I will try and do my best.”
Ganguly previously held the same office from 2015-19, stepping down once he became BCCI president. That national role ended in 2022, freeing him to re-enter state administration while juggling a growing list of franchise positions.
Only last week he was at the SA20 auction, having just agreed to coach Pretoria Capitals for the league’s fourth season – his first head-coach appointment in a T20 tournament. He has served as mentor at Delhi Capitals and, more recently, took on the broader director-of-cricket brief at JSW Sports, the group that owns Capitals sides in the IPL, WPL and abroad.
How the new CAB post intersects with those commitments is not yet clear. One senior Board official, speaking off the record, suggested the BCCI is unlikely to intervene unless fixture clashes occur. An IPL talent-scout offered a practical view: “Sourav’s schedule is hectic, but he’s always been good at delegating. The challenge will be switching from franchise urgency to the slower grind of state-level work.”
For Bengal, the change is mainly continuity. Snehasish moves aside after a short tenure, yet remains eligible for other committees. A CAB insider noted the brothers’ close working relationship and expects minimal disruption to domestic preparations for the Ranji Trophy, which begins in December.
Ganguly’s return, then, feels more like a reunion than a revolution – with Eden Gardens once again at the heart of his ever-widening cricket portfolio.
