Sourav Ganguly will swap the boardroom for the dug-out this December after being confirmed as Pretoria Capitals’ head coach for the fourth SA20 season, which starts on 26 December. The former India captain succeeds Jonathan Trott, having already spent a year as director of cricket for owners JSW Sports.
The Capitals’ record has been mixed. They topped the group in the inaugural campaign but lost the final to Sunrisers Eastern Cape, then finished fifth in both subsequent seasons. Ganguly’s task is clear: sharpen performances, reach the knock-outs and, ideally, go one better.
“This is a fresh canvas,” he said in a brief franchise statement. “I’ve watched the competition from close quarters and the talent is obvious. My job is to help that talent breathe.”
Coaching is new territory for the 53-year-old. He headed the Cricket Association of Bengal (2015-19), mentored Delhi Capitals in 2019, then ran Indian cricket as BCCI president until 2022. JSW brought him back into the fold last year, and its portfolio—Delhi in the IPL and WPL as well as Pretoria—now gives him a direct pathway into the coaching chair.
From an analytical angle the move is logical. Ganguly’s profile can be persuasive at the player auction on 9 September, where Pretoria have both cash and squad spots to fill. A middle-order anchor and a reliable death-overs seamer look priorities, and his network could prove handy.
Team CEO Parth Jindal noted, “Sourav’s understanding of cricket structures is second to none.” Capitals supporters will hope it translates into points quickly.
