Keshav Maharaj, a South African spinner, has been named the Pretoria Capitals’ new captain ahead of the SA20 2025–26 season. The announcement marks a change in the franchise’s leadership as Maharaj takes over for Rilee Rossouw, who joined the Johannesburg Super Kings. The Capitals are starting the season with a new captain thanks to a redesigned team, new support personnel, and solid additions from the September auction.
They finished second in the first edition’s group stage but lost their momentum in the next two seasons, finishing fifth in 2023–24 and 2024–25. As a result, Rossouw was released, the coaching staff was reorganised, and important choices were made at the auction.
Keshav Maharaj, a former captain of the Durban Super Giants, emerged as a solid option for the Capitals because of his leadership abilities and global experience. At the auction, the Capitals paid R1.7 million for the left-arm spinner. The team commended his skills and said that the Capitals would eventually benefit from his strong presence in South Africa’s national setup in SA20.
With 27 wickets in 33 games, Keshav Maharaj is the second-highest wicket-taker among spinners in SA20 history.
The coaching staff has also been reorganised by the Capitals. Jonathan Trott has been replaced as head coach by former India captain Sourav Ganguly. Shaun Pollock, a former captain of South Africa, will help him. Pretoria Capitals entered the auction with 16 open places and the largest purse of R32.5 million. They made news when they signed big-hitting Dewald Brevis for R16.5 million, shattering the SA20 salary record.
Craig Overton (R1 million), Lizaad Williams (R2.4 million), Lungi Ngidi (R2.3 million), Bryce Parsons (R1.9 million), Saqib Mahmood (R1.5 million), and Connor Esterhuizen (R3.2 million) are some of the other significant acquisitions. Before the auction, the team also kept Will Jacks and Sherfane Rutherford, and also added Andre Russell as a wild card.
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