Keshav Maharaj credits Sourav Ganguly for Pretoria Capitals’ run to SA20 final

Pretoria Capitals captain Keshav Maharaj credited head coach Sourav Ganguly for fostering a strong team culture that helped the franchise reach the SA20 Season 4 final. He also praised the Centurion crowd ahead of the team's Season 5 opener

Hyderabad: Pretoria Capitals captain Keshav Maharaj believes that the new leadership group he formed with head coach Sourav Ganguly was at the forefront of the franchise’s tremendous run in Season 4 of the SA20.

Maharaj credited Ganguly with cultivating a positive team culture and said that, together, they were able to create an energy and buzz within the group, both on and off the field, which played an important role in the Capitals reaching the final, where they fell marginally short against the three-time champions, Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

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“I think in tournaments like this, you’ve got to build a nice team culture around everything, and Sourav was amazing at that,” Maharaj told SA20 in an exclusive chat.

“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 about cricket. There was a real buzz and energy within the camp, which was a privilege to be a part of.

“To create something so special in the first season was really exciting. Hopefully, we can build on that, and that will last for generations to come,” he added.

The Capitals open their Season 5 campaign against the Sunrisers in a repeat of last edition’s final, and Maharaj preferred to look ahead rather than dwell on the past and what could have been.

“It’s always going to be the case to the public (revenge), but I think it’s just about putting our best foot forward,” Maharaj added. “We know it’s always important to start the competition really well on the front foot, and to do it against the defending champions would be a nice step in the right direction towards the new season.”

Maharaj was influential not only with his leadership but also with the ball, playing a significant role in the Capitals reaching the final by taking 12 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 6.54. He also praised the Highveld crowd, saying it did not disappoint in his first season in Centurion after spending three seasons with Durban’s SuperGiants.

“When I made the transition to play in Pretoria, that was one of the things I looked forward to – seeing the crowd – and they really didn’t disappoint,” Maharaj said. “They exceeded every bit of my expectations. To see them through good and bad times, the crowd at Centurion was phenomenal, and long may that continue. It’s a wonderful place to play cricket, to embrace the fans, and for the fans to embrace us the way they did was just what we needed to spur us to get into the final.”