South Africa Great's Clear Stance On Sourav Ganguly's SA20 Return Next Year
It was a case of "so close, yet so far" for Sourav Ganguly's Pretoria Capitals in the recently concluded SA20 campaign.
It was a case of "so close, yet so far" for Sourav Ganguly's Pretoria Capitals in the recently concluded SA20 campaign. Despite topping the league phase, the Keshav Maharaj-led side was blown away by the most successful team in the history of the tournament, the SunRisers Eastern Cape. SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith, however, reserved high praise for Ganguly after what was a bittersweet first season at the helm for the former India captain. He credited the legendary batter for bringing a winning mentality back to the Pretoria-based franchise after back-to-back disappointing campaigns in 2024 and 2025.
"We have seen the impact of having outstanding people and leaders around the game. Dada is one of the best captains and obviously an icon in India. He brings leadership across the board, and I was really happy to see that things went well for him," Smith said in an interaction facilitated by SA20.
"I know he is supremely disappointed about not being able to get over the line at the end, but he did well in the recruitment phase and throughout the tournament. After two poor seasons from the Capitals, it was a big one for them," he added.
Smith also expressed hope that the Capitals can retain Ganguly for at least one more season.
"I know he is a very proud and competitive man. I am sure he is disappointed, but we would love to have him back next year."
From Ganguly's perspective, the saga of heartbreaking final losses on South African soil continued. He previously lost the 2003 World Cup final as captain and has now suffered another setback as the first Indian head coach of an overseas T20 franchise.
This trend extends beyond South Africa; his association with the Delhi Capitals has also seen final losses in both the IPL and the WPL during his tenure as Team Director.
Graeme Smith