Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has returned as the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) after a 6-year hiatus. He was elected unopposed on Monday at the CAB's 94th Annual General Meeting held at Eden Gardens.
Sports News: Former captain Sourav Ganguly, often called "Dada" of Indian cricket, has made a resounding comeback to cricket administration. After a six-year break, he took charge as the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) on Monday. Ganguly was elected unopposed as President at the CAB's 94th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Kolkata.
Previously, Ganguly served as CAB President from 2015 to 2019 and then as President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 2019 to 2022. This time, he has replaced his elder brother, Snehasish Ganguly, whose six-year tenure has concluded.
Eden Gardens to get a new look
After becoming president, Ganguly has outlined his priorities, which include increasing the capacity of Eden Gardens stadium to approximately 1 lakh spectators and securing the hosting rights for important matches of the 2024 T20 World Cup. He stated that this plan would only be completed after next year's T20 World Cup. Currently, Eden Gardens has a capacity of around 66,000, but after expansion, it will become India's second-largest stadium. The first spot is held by Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, which has a capacity of 1.32 lakh spectators.
Test Cricket to Return in November
Ganguly also announced that Test cricket would make a grand return to Eden Gardens on November 14, when India hosts the World Test Champions, South Africa. This will be the first Test at Eden Gardens since the historic Day-Night Test against Bangladesh in 2019. Ganguly stated, "My foremost responsibility is to prepare for the upcoming Test between India and South Africa. South Africa is the reigning World Champion, and this match will be incredibly exciting. The pitch, crowd, and infrastructure here are excellent, ensuring a great experience for both teams."
CAB Panel Elected Unopposed
The entire panel led by Ganguly was elected unopposed. The new team includes:
- Bublu Kolay – Secretary
- Madan Mohan Ghosh – Joint Secretary
- Sanjay Das – Treasurer
- Anu Dutta – Vice President
Ganguly said that he would soon discuss with the new BCCI office-bearers to secure Eden Gardens as a host venue for important matches of the T20 World Cup, which might include a semi-final. He added, "I will meet the new members of the board. This is a different role from playing cricket, but I am confident they will do well. I wish them all the best."
