Ganguly to focus on WPL, SA20 as JSW, GMR decide to manage Delhi Capitals teams on two-year rotational basis

After Delhi Capitals roped in former India cricketers Hemang Badani and Y. Venugopala Rao as the head coach and director of cricket, respectively, replacing Sourav Ganguly, the franchise announced a new operational arrangement between GMR and JSW.

While both groups will jointly participate in the auction, JSW – led by Parth Jindal and GMR – headed by Kiran Gandhi – will take turns to run the team for two years at a stretch.

As per the agreement, the men’s team of the Delhi Capitals will be run by GMR for the 2025 and 2026 editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), whereas JSW will operate the WPL (Women’s Premier League) team and the Pretoria Capitals for those two years.

Sports stars understands that Ganguly will continue as the head of cricket at JSW Sports and will handle the women’s team and the Pretoria outfit for the next couple of years. He is unlikely to have any role in the regular functioning of the men’s team during this period.

However, Ganguly is expected to be part of the mega-auction next month.

Talking about the development, JSW Sports founder Parth Jindal said, “Dada has always had a special place at JSW Sports. For us, he is family first and then the cricketing icon that he is. I’ve said this in the past and it stands true even today – he is one of the sharpest brains in cricket and we will always stand to benefit from his guidance and wisdom of the sport. I am both humbled and delighted that Dada will now head all things cricket for JSW Sports in his role as director.”

Ganguly added, “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing the JSW Group and the Jindal family personally and professionally which made this an easy decision. JSW Sports has been doing visionary work across the board, and I am pleased to be able to lend my experience to all its cricketing projects.”

According to a statement issued by the franchise on Thursday, the GMR group will run the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 League.

“The roles will switch when JSW Sports takes over the running of the men’s team in 2027. The business operations of the franchise, however, will continue to be run by the Delhi Capitals’ management team,” the statement read.

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However, during this period, important decisions like auctions, captaincy, player release and retention of both teams will be made by the Delhi Capitals’ board and will be decided mutually by the senior leadership of both groups.

GMR Group was one of the founder franchises of IPL in 2008 with the team “Delhi Daredevils”.

In 2018, JSW Sports and GMR Group entered a 50:50 partnership to co-own the IPL franchise and rebranded the team as Delhi Capitals. Since 2008, Delhi Capitals have participated in every edition, reaching the semifinal in the first two seasons and making the playoffs on multiple other occasions.

In 2019, the team registered its best-ever finish, ending the season as second runner-up. The Capitals went one better in 2020, making the final of the IPL for the first time in the franchise’s history.

The women’s team, which was acquired in 2023, has made it to the final of both editions of the Women’s Premier League thus far.

A few months ago, the franchise had parted ways with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting as the head coach.