July 25, London

Sourav Ganguly is back ... and is back with a bang. But this time in Indian Premier League as Captain. Knight Riders has once again appointed Sourav Ganguly as their leader in the third season next year. Team owner Shahrukh Khan will make this annoucement few weeks later. SKR and Dada met in London and had a long discussion about Indian Premier League season III.

Meanwhile, Ganguly and SRK may opt for former New Zealander John Wright as their team coach for season III. Former KR Coach John Buchanan was fired after a dismal performance by the team in IPL II.

Sourav Ganguly led the side in the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League in 2008. But he was unceremoniously ousted by the KKR think-tank led by former coach John Buchanan just before the start of the second edition in 2009.

Six New Zealand including skipper Daniel Vettori and vice-captain Brendon McCullum have signed the new contracts for the 2009-10 season, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Friday.

 The players, who represent their respective teams in the lucrative Indian Premier League were given extra time to make a decision as their was a clash in the schedule of the IPL and the players’ national commitments.

Other players to have signed the contract include Kyle Mills, Jesse Ryder, Jacob Oram and Ross Taylor.

IPL’s third season, which kicks off in March next year will clash with the schedule of Australia’s tour of New Zealand.

Though some in the KKR ranks had revealed few days back that Ganguly might get back the captaincy even if McCullum was there in the team after the KKR failed under him miserably in the second edition of the IPL in South Africa, ending the tourney at the bottom of the points table.And with coach John Buchanan ousted a couple of months back by KKR management, Ganguly’s return to the post of captaincy was just a matter of time.