SA20 might not be the most followed T20 league in the world, but what made the difference this year was, perhaps the announcement of Sourav Ganguly as the head coach of the Pretoria Capitals; a role that the former India skipper took over for the very first time. And it just shows, that it was an instant hit.
A – there was an added interest for an average Indian fan, B – Pretoria Capitals made it to the finals after a gap of 2023-24, two editions. That too, it was after a couple of poor seasons, where they only finished fifth.
What has Ganguly brought to the table?
The tournament did not begin well for the team. They lost two to start with — against JSK & SEC, and wins eluded them in the 4th and 5th, but Ganguly’s team did not succumb to pressure. They won their next 5 out of six games, to be in the final against Sunrisers.
Along the way came some stellar performances by Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 317 runs in 10 encounters, and also Shai Hope got 275 in 11. As a coach, he did manage to get the best from the players. Bowling wise it was a more uniform contribution from skipper Keshav Maharaj with 11 wickets, GG Peters with 9, and LB Williams with the same.
What Keshav Maharaj said?
Maharaj made it clear that, to have someone of his stature in the dressing room did make the difference. Categorically, he mentioned that Ganguly is the one who turned it around for PC, after two failed seasons. “He’s very positive and very accessible with information because he wants the best out of his players. He gives everyone the same love, care and attention that is required,” Maharaj said.
“Obviously, we’ve had a bit of an up-and-down season. We haven’t played too well at home, to say the least, but we’ve found a bit of rhythm at the right time. It is about keeping the momentum and implementing our basics,” Maharaj said.
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