Former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas has been elected as the 37th President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at its 94th Annual General Meeting (AGM). He succeeds Roger Binny, who stepped down after turning 70, in line with BCCI’s age-related norms.
Key Highlights
Leadership Change
- Mithun Manhas, a former India all-rounder and domestic cricket stalwart, emerged as the consensus candidate after key stakeholder discussions in New Delhi.
- His election continues the trend of unopposed victories in BCCI elections for the past six years.
Selection Committees Restructured
Senior Men’s Selection Panel:
- R.P. Singh and Pragyan Ojha appointed, replacing S. Sharath and Subroto Banerjee.
- S. Sharath reassigned as Chairman of the Junior Men’s Selection Panel, replacing V.S. Thilak Naidu.
Senior Women’s Selection Panel:
- Appointments based on Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) recommendations.
- Members include Amita Sharma (Chairperson), Sulakshana Naik, Jaya Sharma, and Sravanthi Naidu.
- Notably, Sulakshana Naik resigned from CAC before applying for the role.
Other Key Appointments
- BCCI Secretary: Jay Shah (Saikia reference retained as Secretary since Jan).
- Vice President: Rajiv Shukla.
- Treasurer: A. Raghuram Bhat.
- Joint Secretary: Prabhtej Singh Bhatia (shifted from Treasurer role), replacing Rohan Dessai of Goa.
Committees Formed
Women’s Premier League (WPL) Committee:
- Infrastructure Committee:
- Rohan Jaitley (Chairperson), Anirudh Chaudhury, Sana Sathish Babu.
Talent Resource Development Wing (TRDW) Note
- TRDW, introduced in the early 2000s under Dilip Vengsarkar, helped discover talents like M.S. Dhoni.
- Scrapped in the early 2010s when match referees doubled as TRDOs.
Significance
- Mithun Manhas’ election symbolizes continuity in BCCI’s consensus-driven leadership model.
- Restructured selection panels aim to balance experience and fresh perspectives in team-building.
- Revival discussions around TRDW highlight BCCI’s ongoing focus on grassroots cricket development.
- Strengthened committees (WPL & Infrastructure) show increased emphasis on women’s cricket growth and stadium/facility development.
Key Facts
- BCCI: World’s richest cricket board, established in 1928; HQ: Mumbai.
- 94th AGM: Marks one of the longest-running cricket governance bodies in the world.
- Roger Binny: Former India all-rounder, part of the 1983 World Cup-winning team.
- Mithun Manhas: Former Delhi Ranji captain; represented Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors, Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.