Sourav Ganguly is back at the helm of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). The former India captain was elected unopposed as president at the association’s 94th annual general meeting on Monday, ending a six-year gap since his last stint from 2015 to 2019. The 53-year-old replaced his elder brother Snehasish Ganguly, who stepped down after completing the maximum six-year tenure. Ganguly, who also served as BCCI president between 2019 and 2022, now returns to state cricket administration with some ambitious plans. One of his main priorities is to restore Eden Gardens’ capacity to one lakh. The venue currently holds around 68,000 spectators, a reduction made before the 2011 World Cup. Ganguly said the expansion project would only move forward after next year’s T20 World Cup. “Whatever happens it would be after the T20 World Cup next year. It will take time. The lease has been renewed,” he said, as quoted by PTI. Eden Gardens is also set to play a major role in India’s cricket calendar. The stadium will host the opening Test of the home series against South Africa on November 14, which will be the first Test at the venue since the 2019 day-night pink-ball match against Bangladesh. “This will be a good Test match, South Africa being the world champions… India and South Africa both are good sides, I’m sure it will be a good Test,” Ganguly said. The ground is also expected to stage high-profile matches during the 2026 T20 World Cup, possibly including a semifinal. Ganguly confirmed he would soon hold discussions with the new BCCI office bearers. Beyond such high-profile fixtures, Ganguly stressed his focus on Bengal cricket’s long-term development. He highlighted a new state-of-the-art academy planned in Dumurjala, Howrah, spread over nine acres with floodlights and modern facilities. “It would be like Kalyani Academy but there would be floodlights and other state-of-the-art facilities… the plan has been sanctioned, it will take at least one, one and a half years,” he said.
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The CAB also raised its development fund for districts from ₹5 crore to ₹8 crore. Alongside Ganguly, the entire panel, featuring Bablu Kolay (secretary), Madan Mohan Ghosh (joint secretary), Sanjay Das (treasurer) and Anu Dutta (vice-president) were elected unopposed.
