New Delhi: In a surprising turn of events, former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas flew to Mumbai early on Sunday morning to file his nomination for the prestigious post of Indian cricket board’s (BCCI) president. He is now expected to be elected unopposed at the board’s annual general meeting (AGM) on September 28, following a dramatic high-profile meeting in the Capital on Saturday night.
Manhas’ sudden rise to the top has taken the Indian cricket fraternity by surprise. The 45-year-old is poised to become the first person from Jammu and Kashmir to head the BCCI, and notably, the first uncapped player to hold this significant position. The decision was reached amidst a strong push to ensure a cricketer assumes the leadership role, with technicalities being carefully navigated to ensure a smooth transition.
Saturday proved to be a whirlwind day for the influential figures in Indian cricket. The BCCI has consistently upheld the necessity of having a cricketer at the helm, a principle enshrined in the BCCI constitution following the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha committee’s recommendations in 2019. Manhas will follow in the footsteps of previous cricketer-presidents, Sourav Ganguly and Roger Binny.
Sources indicate that the BCCI faced a dilemma due to a lack of readily available options. Other eligible cricketers who could attend the upcoming AGM included Ganguly (representing the Cricket Association of Bengal), Raghuram Bhat (Karnataka State Cricket Association), and Harbhajan Singh (Punjab Cricket Association). While Bhat is slated to become the treasurer, the consensus for Manhas emerged after intense deliberation. Bhat may have been passed over for the presidency since the immediate past president, Roger Binny, also hailed from the KSCA.
Unlike Bhat, Manhas was not an elected office-bearer at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). Instead, he served as a director after the BCCI established an ad-hoc committee to manage cricket affairs in the state, a decision prompted by the High Court’s disbandment of the previous office-bearers five years ago. Manhas has previously represented the JKCA at BCCI AGMs. It has also come to light that BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who is expected to retain his position, played a highly influential role in the candidate selection process. Saikia’s increasing influence within the BCCI is evident from these developments. Additionally, Arun Dhumal is confirmed to continue as the IPL chairman.
“It wasn’t a straightforward decision for the powerful figures within the BCCI. All potential technicalities surrounding Manhas’ appointment were thoroughly discussed, and legal opinions were sought. The meeting extended almost until midnight before the board ultimately found a solution to ensure a cricketer became president,” a BCCI source revealed.
Manhas is widely regarded as a shrewd strategist in cricketing circles. He boasts an impressive record of 157 first-class matches and famously led a formidable Delhi team featuring cricketing greats like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Aakash Chopra. He has consistently earned high praise from his international contemporaries for his keen cricketing intelligence. His IPL career included stints with Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors, and Chennai Super Kings. Both Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh were reportedly admirers of his sharp cricketing mind.
Manhas concluded his domestic career with J&K after he was dropped from the Delhi setup during the 2015-16 season, when then-captain Gautam Gambhir opted to move past veteran players to nurture Delhi cricket’s future talent. Manhas also served as an assistant coach at Gujarat Titans since the franchise’s inception before the management replaced him with Parthiv Patel last year.
New office-bearers to continue even after sports bill
Sources indicate that this newly appointed set of office-bearers will likely remain in their positions even after the government’s sports bill is implemented in the coming months. Initially, it was believed that all federations would be required to hold fresh elections once the bill became law. However, the BCCI is not expected to follow suit. With the potential removal of the ‘cooling off’ clause, it will be interesting to observe the tenure of the incumbent office-bearers.
The nominated office-bearers:
- President — Mithun Manhas
- Vice-President — Rajeev Shukla
- Secretary — Devajit Saikia
- Treasurer — Raghuram Bhat
- Joint secretary — Prabtej Bhatia
- IPL Chairman — Arun Dhumal
About Manhas:
- Born in Jammu, he moved from J&K to Delhi after playing U-16 cricket.
- Played 157 First-Class matches and 55 IPL matches.
- Returned to J&K after being dropped from the Delhi squad under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy.
- Served as part of the BCCI’s ad-hoc committee in JKCA.