Former Indian cricket team skipper Sourav Ganguly was appointed head coach of Pretoria Capitals ahead of the new season of SA20 League. The franchise took to social media to confirm his appointment. “The Prince is all set to bring a royal flair to the Capitals camp! We are ecstatic to announce Sourav Ganguly as our new head coach,” the team wrote on Instagram. This will be Ganguly’s first stint as head coach of any professional cricket team. Ganguly, who was also the BCCI President, will succeed former England cricketer Jonathan Trott in the head coach role.
“Jonathan Trott, forever grateful for your leadership and unwavering dedication to the team. All the best on your next adventure! Once a Capital, always a Capital!,” the franchise wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
After retiring from international cricket in 2008, Ganguly had moved into administrative roles, notably serving as the BCCI president and currently works as Chair of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, apart from being president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).
Ganguly’s involvement in franchise cricket management has just been as Director of Cricket for Delhi Capitals in the IPL and WPL (after being named JSW Sports’ Director of Cricket last year).
He was with DC as their mentor in 2019 but soon left it to become BCCI president, before coming back in the franchise once that stint was over. But with the Pretoria Capitals, Ganguly will now be entering his first full-fledged role as a head coach of any professional cricket team.
The 2026 edition of the SA20 has been brought forward to avoid a clash with the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka, and will run from December 26 to January 25.
Ganguly’s first point of focus as Pretoria Capitals’ head coach will be picking the best players for the side in the player auction happening on September 9.
(With IANS inputs)
