Dubai: Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly stunned the Indian Premier League (IPL) fans through one of the most unexpected decisions.
The former left-hander, who is known as the ‘Prince of Kolkata’ has joined the Delhi Capitals team as an adviser for the upcoming season.
He will work alongside the team’s head coach Ricky Ponting to plan Delhi’s success.
The Delhi franchise have changed their name from Delhi Daredevils to Delhi Capitals and are in the process of revamping their team to bolster their chances of winning the IPL title which has eluded them so far.
Ganguly had played for Kolkata Knight Riders for three years before moving to play for Pune Warriors for two seasons.
Kolkata fans had expected him to back their team despite Ganguly’s alleged differences with Bollywood actor and owner Shahrukh Khan.
Interestingly, Ganguly is also the President of the Bengal Cricket Association and is now being talked about as the next President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Commenting on his decision to join Delhi, Ganguly said: “I am very pleased to come on board with the Delhi Capitals. Having known the Jindals and the JSW Group (owners of Delhi team) for years, I am now excited to be a part of their latest sports venture. I am really looking forward to working with the players and the support staff.”
Shreyas Iyer will lead Delhi, who will start their IPL campaign with a match against Mumbai Indians on March 24 at the Wankhede Stadium. Iyer will be bolstered by the advice of two successful cricketers in Ponting and Ganguly. Ganguly carries with him the experience of having captained Kolkata and being the captain-cum-mentor for Pune Warriors in 2012 before his retirement.
Delhi’s support staff is made up of Mohammad Kaif (assistant coach), Praveen Amre (talent scouting coach) former Australian all-rounder James Hopes (bowling coach).
Ganguly went on to become a successful commentator. Addressed by many fans as Dada (big brother) he became the anchor of Dadagiri — a reality show on Zee Bangla TV which is one of the most popular Bengali programmes on TV.
“Sourav is one of the most astute minds in world cricket,” said Delhi chairman Parth Jindal. “A lot of what we see in Indian cricket today was born because of Sourav. His aggression, positivity and never say die attitude are traits we want the Delhi Capitals team to imbibe. It is truly an honour that Sourav has chosen Delhi as his IPL team. I have no doubt that our team will benefit immensely from his experience, guidance and advice. Sourav has been like family to me and I am deeply humbled to have him as an adviser.
