In line with the recent trend, all the office bearers of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were elected unopposed on Sunday at an Annual General Body Meeting in Mumbai. Former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas was the only candidate in the fray for the president’s post, like it was the case when World Cup winning allrounder Roger Binny became president in 2022 and before him former India captain Sourav Ganguly in 2019.
Ganguly was among the former Test cricketers whose names were doing the rounds for potential president, but he like the others didn’t file nominations.
Manhas, born in Jammu in J&K, is the third consecutive former cricketer to become the BCCI president, a period marked by the lack of palace intrigue and absence of different camps. Jay Shah, son of home minister Amit Shah, was the BCCI secretary from October 2019 to December 2024. After his tenure in the BCCI ended, he was elected unopposed as the ICC Chair late last year.
The last three elections have taken place post the Justice Lodha Committee recommendations for governance and administrative reforms.
Ganguly, former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and former left-arm spinner Raghuram Bhat were the other three eligible candidates for the president’s post with the BCCI narrowing the search to former cricketers for the top post. Their respective states associations had named them as representatives for the AGM but none of them filed the nomination papers last Sunday (September 21), the cutoff date, which left just Manhas in the fray.
Manhas represented Delhi in the Ranji Trophy and went back to his home state only towards the end of his long playing career that began in 1997 and ended in 2016. Manhas played 157 first-class fixtures scoring 9,714 runs at 45.82 with 27 centuries. Post his playing career, like many cricketers of his era, Manhas has been part of different Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, as a support staff. From Punjab Kings to Royal Challengers Bengaluru to Gujarat Titans, he has served as batting coach and assistant coach.
In 2021 when the BCCI formed a sub-committee to handle the day-to-day affairs of the dysfunctional Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association, Mithun was included. He was also the technical director. Even at JKCA, for the administrative role, the BCCI had named Brigadier Anil Gupta. However, it was Mithun’s presence in the committee that made him eligible to be nominated by JKCA for the AGM, which in turn facilitated his election to the top role.
When playing for J & K, he opted out for a game after Parvez Rasool – the first international cricketer from Kashmir – was named captain for a Ranji fixture. With Mithun as an administrator, J&K made the quarterfinals of Ranji last season.
“Maybe my work, my credentials (worked in my favour to become the president). Credentials both as an administrator, as well as a cricketer,” he told The Indian Express.
“It’s an absolute honour to be the president of the world’s finest cricketing board. And it’s at the same time, a huge responsibility as well. I give my assurance that I’ll be committed to do it to the best of my abilities and with dedication and passion,” Manhas said after taking charge. “As an administrator, as a cricketer, as well, for the past 4 years, I’ve been working at the JKCA. And we qualified (for Ranji Trophy quarterfinals) too. The whole agenda is development and to take the BCCI forward.”
A couple of former greats were sounded out about them being looked at as potential BCCI presidents but both of them declined the role thus narrowing down the field further as the power centres of the BCCI wanted to have a former player as its president.
No election day intrigue
Since 2015, BCCI AGMs have been straightforward affairs, minus election-day intrigue. At those elections, there were two factions and former administrator N Srinivasan was barred by the Supreme Court from contesting because of conflict-of-interest issues. While veteran administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya became the consensus candidate for warring groups, Anurag Thakur pipped Sanjay Patel for the secretary’s post. In 2005 Ranbir Singh Mahendra was elected as the president after he won because of the casting vote from Jagmohan Dalmiya, the outgoing president. Mahendra and Sharad Pawar were tied in votes before Dalmiya’s intervention.
Ganguly, who had served as BCCI president between 2019 and 2022, had more experience in administration than Manhas but he was seen as someone who could rock the boat. Harbhajan, a veteran of 103 Tests and Rajya Sabha MP, like Manhas didn’t have experience as administrator at the highest-level, though the former off-spinner is an instantly recognisable face.
Bhat has served as the president of Karnataka State Cricket Association. After Binny, he would have been the second BCCI president from Karnataka. So Bhat was handed the keys to the treasurer’s office, where he replaced Chhattisgarh’s Prabhtej Bhatia, who is now the joint-secretary. Rajeev Shukla is the vice-president.
Mithun was a left field choice. Prior to a meeting in Delhi last week, where some of the old guards were also present, Mithun wasn’t in contention, it is learnt.
However, at that meeting, when the powers at play put forward his name, no objections were made.
Former cricketer Mithun Manhas, center, and BCCI's joint secretary Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, right, arrive for the board's Annual General Meeting (AGM) at its headquarters, in Mumbai on Sunday. (PTI Photo)
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