Pretoria Capitals captain Keshav Maharaj has credited head coach Sourav Ganguly for transforming the franchise’s culture and guiding the team to an impressive runners-up finish in the 2025-26 SA20 season. According to the South African spinner, Ganguly’s leadership off the field played a crucial role in creating the unity and positive environment that fueled the Capitals’ remarkable campaign. Pretoria Capitals enjoyed one of their best SA20 seasons, finishing second in the league stage with five wins from 10 matches before producing a dominant performance in Qualifier 1.
Although they fell short against Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the final, the campaign established the Capitals as one of the competition’s strongest sides. Speaking ahead of the new SA20 season, Maharaj praised Ganguly for building a close-knit dressing room and encouraging players to bond beyond match days.
“I think in tournaments like this, you’ve got to build a nice team culture around everything, and Sourav was amazing at that,” Keshav Maharaj said. “We had a lot of guys that bought into what we tried to achieve. Often during the competition, when we weren’t playing, we’d get in the team room, have dinner together, watch other games, and chat cricket. There was a real buzz and energy within the camp, which was a privilege to be a part of.”
ALSO READ: Anil Chaudhary Defends Virat Kohli’s Liveliness and Aggressive Approach
Keshav Maharaj believes those off-field interactions played a major role in the team’s success and hopes the culture established during the previous campaign continues for years to come.
Pretoria Capitals will begin their 2026-27 SA20 campaign against defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the same side that denied them the title last season. Despite Dewald Brevis producing a magnificent century in the final, the Capitals suffered a six-wicket defeat.
However, Maharaj is not viewing the opening fixture as an opportunity for revenge. “It’s always going to be the case to the public, but I think it’s just about putting our best foot forward,” he explained. “We know how important it is to start the competition well, and doing that against the defending champions would be a great first step.”
Maharaj joined Pretoria Capitals ahead of Season 4 after representing Durban’s Super Giants in the first three editions of SA20. The experienced left-arm spinner made an immediate impact, claiming 12 wickets in 12 matches while maintaining an outstanding economy rate of 6.54.
The skipper also reserved special praise for the passionate supporters at SuperSport Park in Centurion, saying their backing gave the team an extra lift throughout the tournament.
WATCH – Sunrisers Remove Celebration Video Amid Fan Backlash Over New Tradition
“When I made the move to Pretoria, seeing the crowd was something I really looked forward to, and they exceeded every expectation,” Keshav Maharaj said. “Whether in good times or bad, the Centurion crowd was phenomenal. They embraced us throughout the season, and their support played a huge role in helping us reach the final.”
Pretoria Capitals will launch their 2026-27 SA20 campaign against Sunrisers Eastern Cape on January 17, 2027, at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, while the tournament final is scheduled for February 21 at Newlands in Cape Town.
