Mithun Manhas likely to become BCCI president:Raghuram Bhatt files for treasurer nomination; Rajeev Shukla, Arun Dhumal to continue as VP, IPL chairman

Former Delhi cricketer Mithun Manhas is the frontrunner and expected to be the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Although the final announcement is yet to come out, it seems there was consensus on his name in the meeting, including top BCCI officials and BJP members, on Saturday evening in Delhi. Notably, the high-powered meeting was held at a Union Minister’s residence in Delhi. So far, the official announcement is expected to be made after the board’s Annual General Meeting(AGM) meet on September 28. On Sunday morning, Mithun Manhas, Devajit Saikia, Prabhtej Bhatia, and Raghuram Bhatt have already filed nominations for president, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer posts, respectively, as per the Cricbuzz report. Later on Rajeev Shukla also arrived and confirmed the appointment of new BCCI panel. Rajeev Shukla, Arun Dhumal to continue as Vice-President and IPL Chairman Later on Sunday, Rajeev Shukla arrived at the BCCI office to file for the nominations for the board Vice-President. There he confirmed the name of other candidates for the BCCI panel stating, I have come to file a nomination. A panel is ready, with Mithun Manhas for the post of President, myself for Vice President, Devajit Saikia for Secretary, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia for Joint Secretary, and Raghuram Bhatt for Treasurer. Nominations have also been filed for the names decided for the Governing Council. So, a new body is being formed for the next tenure. Arun Dhumal is also expected to continue as IPL Chairman. Notably, Dhumal completed six years in board roles, so he should have gone off on a cooling period. But he will continue as Shukla added, “Arun Dhumal is the chairman of the IPL governing council and he will continue in that position.” Mithun Manhas can be the first uncapped BCCI president who didn’t play international cricket It is worth noting that Mithun Manhas will be the first uncapped BCCI president who has not played international cricket. Rather, he has featured in 157 first-class matches from 1998 to 2016. Manhas’s domestic career lasted for about 18 years and was a point of surprise among high-profile BCCI president contenders like Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh. Ultimately, Manhas gained approval after Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) nominated him for the September 28 election and Annual General Meeting (AGM). A look at Manhas’ prominent career charts Apart from the vast domestic cricket experience that Manhas has, the 45-year-old has also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors and Chennai Super Kings. In recent years, he has worked as an administrator in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) and has also participated in the BCCI’s AGM. Also Read: India, Pakistan set for fiery rematch in Super Four faceoff: Can PAK avenge group-stage defeat? Top contenders who pitched for the BCCI president role As per the Cricbuzz report, Raghuram Bhatt, a former India Test cricketer, was also a contender for the position. Although he could not be the frontrunner, he filed in Mumbai on Sunday to file a nomination for the BCCI election as Treasurer. Other prominent contenders for the high-profile role included Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, and former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More. The last date for filing nominations is till Sunday afternoon, while the elections will be held at the board’s AGM meet on September 28. After the amendment to the BCCI’s constitution in 2019, such nominations are generally accepted without any opposition. BCCI believes that a cricketer should lead the board. Rajeev Shukla took over Roger Binny’s role after the latter’s resignation After 70-year-old Roger Binny recently stepped down as BCCI President, Rajeev Shukla was appointed as the acting president. According to the Lodha Committee, no candidate above 70 years can hold the position of BCCI President. Therefore, Binny had to resign from the post. AGM to be held on the day of Asia Cup final BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in Mumbai on September 28. This is the Board’s 94th AGM. It will also include elections for the governing council of IPL and WPL. The Asia Cup final is also scheduled to be held in Dubai on September 28.