Sourav Ganguly to rejoin Delhi Capitals as Director of Cricket
Sourav Ganguly, the former BCCI president, is all set to be appointed Delhi Capitals' Director of Cricket, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday. Notably, Ganguly was with the franchise as an advisor before he took over as BCCI chief in 2019. Former Indian all-rounder, Roger Binny, succeeded Ganguly as the BCCI president in October this year. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
This will be Ganguly's second stint with the Delhi-based franchise. In March 2019, DC roped him in as an advisor. Ganguly worked closely with head coach Ricky Ponting in that season. The duo guided the Shreyas Iyer-led to the IPL playoffs. Interestingly, DC ended a seven-year-long wait to earn a playoffs berth. DC seems to have regained the services of Ganguly.
Ganguly's exit as BCCI president
Ganguly, who took over as the BCCI president in 2019, was eligible to extend his role as per Supreme Court's revised norms. However, he reportedly didn't get the backing from other members. According to PTI, the former India captain wanted to continue with his role. After perpetual meetings with the stakeholders, he was informed that a second term remains out of the question.
Ganguly set to rejoin Ponting
Ganguly is set to rejoin Ponting at the Capitals. The former will also supervise other verticals of the franchise - Dubai Capitals (ILT20) and Pretoria Capitals (SAT20). Notably, Ganguly has led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Pune Warriors as a player in the IPL.
The pursuit of a new captain
Ganguly's first task would be to name DC's captain for the upcoming season. Regular captain Rishabh Pant is likely to stay away from the action, having met with a car accident. The southpaw, who sustained several injuries, is reportedly likely to miss this year's tournament. David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, and Axar Patel are in the fray to replace Pant as skipper.
How did DC fare in IPL 2022?
In 2022, DC missed the playoffs berth by a whisker, having finished fifth. Mumbai Indians beat DC in match number 69 wherein the spot was at stake. With DC losing the tie, Royal Challengers Bangalore made it to the last four. The Capitals finished with 14 points, winning seven and losing as many matches. They had a Net Run Rate of +0.204.
