8 months ago
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Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly connected Monday (September 22, 2025) returned arsenic the president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) aft six years and picked retired the boosting of Eden Gardens' capableness to 1 lakh and securing marquee fixtures during adjacent year’s T20 World Cup among his apical priorities.
Ganguly was elected unopposed astatine the CAB’s 94th yearly wide gathering successful Kolkata connected Monday, marking his comeback to the authorities relation aft six years. He earlier served arsenic CAB president from 2015 to 2019.
He besides pledged to oversee a creaseless instrumentality of Test cricket to Eden Gardens erstwhile India hosts satellite champions South Africa connected November 14.
Replaces member Snehasish
The 53-year-old, who antecedently served arsenic BCCI president from 2019 to 2022, replaced his elder member Snehasish Ganguly, who had to measurement down pursuing the completion of a six-year tenure cap.
The erstwhile India left-hander's contiguous work would beryllium to hole for the India vs South Africa opening Test successful November — the archetypal astatine Eden Gardens since the historical day-night pink-ball fixture against Bangladesh successful 2019, which helium had initiated during his stint arsenic BCCI chief.
Looking ahead, Ganguly expressed assurance that the clash would unrecorded up to expectations, fixed the stature of the 2 sides and the facilities astatine Eden Gardens.
"This volition beryllium a bully Test match, South Africa being the satellite champions. I volition deliberation astir it. Everything is determination -- bully pitches, bully crowd, infrastructure is there," helium said.
"You conscionable person to clasp it decently and marque definite it's a bully match. India and South Africa some are bully sides, I'm definite it volition beryllium a bully Test."
Ganguly, however, stressed that determination was inactive clip earlier the large occasion.
"I've not truly thought astir it, determination is inactive 2 months left," helium remarked.
The Eden is besides expected to signifier high-profile matches successful adjacent year’s T20 World Cup, including a imaginable semifinal. Ganguly said discussions with the caller BCCI squad members would travel soon.
"I volition talk to the Board. They are besides caller members. I privation him (new BCCI president) each the best. It would beryllium antithetic than playing cricket. I'm definite helium would bash well. It's not conscionable Mithun, a batch of caller bureau bearers including Raghuram Bhat," said Ganguly who would correspond CAB astatine the BCCI yearly wide gathering connected Sunday.
The BCCI is acceptable to elite erstwhile Delhi skipper Mithun Manhas arsenic its caller president astatine the AGM successful Mumbai connected Sunday with each the posts to beryllium filled unopposed aft interior consultations. Former Karnataka and India spinner Raghuram Bhat is acceptable to instrumentality implicit arsenic treasurer.
Ganguly besides talked astir his plans to grow Eden Gardens’ capacity. He said the task would instrumentality signifier aft the adjacent year's planetary event.
"Whatever happens it would beryllium aft the T20 World Cup adjacent year. It volition instrumentality time. The lease has been renewed."
If the enlargement program materialises aft adjacent year’s T20 World Cup, Eden Gardens would go the second-largest cricket stadium successful the state aft the Narendra Modi Stadium successful Motera, Ahmedabad, which has a seating capableness of 1.32 lakh.
The Eden primitively had a one-lakh positive capableness but gradually it has travel down, keeping the spectators' comfortableness successful mind. Before the 2011 World Cup, it was reduced to the existing 68,000.
Outlining his priorities for the caller term, Ganguly stressed connected strengthening Bengal’s first-class structure, and the motorboat of a caller state-of-the-art academy successful Dumurjala for which CAB has procured 9 cres of land.
"Bengal person played (Ranji) last twice. Cricket indispensable develop, it's nary rocket science."
Among his semipermanent projects is the Dumurjala Academy successful Howrah, which has already been sanctioned.
"Dumurjala Academy connected 9 acres of land. It would beryllium similar Kalyani Academy but determination would beryllium floodlights and different state-of-the-art facilities. It's precise adjacent to the city, the program has been sanctioned, it volition instrumentality astatine slightest one, 1 and a fractional years. It volition beryllium an academy." There was besides treatment connected expanding CAB's Vision 2020 Programme to 2036, keeping India's Olympic bid successful mind.
"We privation to nutrient cricketers who tin correspond India astatine the Olympics, truthful 2036 should beryllium the adjacent target," said an official.
The CAB besides accrued its improvement funds to authorities units and territory associations from ₹5 crore to ₹8 crore.
The full sheet led by Ganguly — Bablu Kolay (secretary), Madan Mohan Ghosh (joint-secretary), Sanjay Das (treasurer) and Anu Dutta (vice-president) — was besides elected unopposed.
