New Delhi: Former cricketer Mithun Manhas has been appointed as the new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), succeeding Roger Binny. The decision was made during a prominent meeting in Delhi, where notable figures such as Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh were also considered for the role.
In addition to Manhas’ appointment, veteran administrator Rajeev Shukla will continue as the vice-president. Raghuram Bhatt from Karnataka has been named the new treasurer, while Arun Dhumal will retain his position as IPL chairman. Devajit Saikia, who took over from Jay Shah as BCCI chairman, will remain in his role.
Manhas’s selection was unexpected; he had not been prominently discussed in the lead-up to the decision. Making his first-class debut in the 1997/98 season, Manhas played 157 matches, scoring 9,714 runs at an average of 45.82. While he was a consistent performer in red-ball cricket, he was unable to secure a place in the national team, which featured legendary players such as Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman.
In domestic cricket, Manhas served as the captain of the Delhi team in the Ranji Trophy, leading them to victory in the 2007/08 season, where he scored 921 runs at an impressive average of 57.56. In white-ball formats, he participated in 221 matches, yet he never received the opportunity to represent India at the international level, although he played for India A prior to his retirement in 2017.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Manhas featured in 55 matches, representing teams such as Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Pune Warriors India (now defunct), and Chennai Super Kings. Over these matches, he accumulated 514 runs at a strike rate of 109.36.
Post-Retirement Activities: Following his cricket career, Manhas transitioned to cricket administration and has been affiliated with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JSCA). He has also participated in the BCCI’s Annual General Meetings (AGMs) as a representative of the board. On September 21, he filed his nomination for the BCCI presidency, with his appointment set to be confirmed at the upcoming AGM on September 28.
