Sourav Ganguly is a man of many roles. As I write this, preparations are under way for his forthcoming biopic, with the directorial team making the rounds of his Behala house. He is a show host, corporate speaker and able administrator, not to mention a doting father. But above all, he remains a cricketer, and that is his true calling. The Pretoria Capitals story is a clear case in point.
The cricket pitch is where Sourav finds his true mojo, and that is where he really belongs. Pretoria started poorly and lost the first couple of games. Things were not going right, and then the ascent began. Finally, they won the play-off yesterday and booked a place in the final of the South Africa T20 League. As head coach, Ganguly once again managed to get the job done and will now have a shot at the title.
I have known Sourav for more than three decades. I have worked with him in television, seen him up close as an administrator and as a reality show host. These are all assignments for him. As a professional, he does them well and ensures that those who invest in him feel good about it. But they are, ultimately, work. Cricket, on the other hand, is his true passion.
To substantiate this with an example: Sourav was BCCI president during Covid and was shooting for a commercial at the JW Marriott Hotel in Kolkata on the day India were bowled out for 36 in Adelaide. It was peak Covid, and everyone at the shoot was wearing masks. I happened to be in the hotel on some work and caught up with Sourav in his room.
“How is it that their feet aren’t moving?” Sourav said, even before asking me to sit. “You can’t not take a step forward. You have to, and then things will fall into place. India need to break the monotony of right-handers and not let the Australians settle. I will have a word with Ajinkya and tell him as much.”
That was not the BCCI president speaking. It was someone who had played more than 100 Test matches for India. The passion was unmistakable.
More than anything else, he remains a cricketer. Becoming BCCI president or representing India at the ICC is not a high for him. Picking up a cricket bat and speaking to a young Richa Ghosh, explaining how things should be done, is his true calling. That is where he belongs, and that is why this Pretoria Capitals assignment is so close to his heart.
Ganguly could do a lot more in the coming years — sign more endorsements or make a difference at CAB. But helping a young Dewald Brevis become the best in the world will give him a level of satisfaction that nothing else can.
We do not know whether Sourav’s Pretoria Capitals will win the title. What we do know is that Ganguly will ensure his boys are the best prepared. He will plot and plan, and in doing so, he will find himself happiest.
Once a cricketer, always a cricketer.
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