Not Sourav Ganguly or Harbhajan Singh but former IPL star likely to become new BCCI president

Indian cricket is set for a big change as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prepares to elect its new office-bearers, including the president , on September 28. While fans have been speculating names like Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh, a report now suggests that a former IPL star is likely to take the top post.

A crucial meeting was reportedly scheduled for September 20 at the residence of Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. This informal gathering of top BCCI officials and ruling BJP members was expected to finalise the next leadership of Indian cricket. A similar meeting in 2022 had played a key role in selecting Roger Binny as BCCI president after Ganguly’s tenure.

New BCCI president picked?

According to Cricbuzz and News24, former Gujarat Titans assistant coach and the first player from Jammu & Kashmir to play in the IPL, Mithun Manhas, will likely be the new BCCI president. Former India spinner and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president Raghuram Bhat is also in contention. September 21 is the last day to file nominations for these elections.

According to the Draft Electoral Roll released by BCCI’s electoral officer AK Joti, Ganguly will represent the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), where he is currently the president. Harbhajan has been nominated by the Punjab Cricket Association for the election.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, who is serving as interim president after Roger Binny stepped down, will represent the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association. Rohan Jaitley, son of the late Arun Jaitley, is also in the race. However, reports suggest that a former cricketer is most likely to be chosen for the top post.

Who is Manhas?

With Manhas the frontrunner, Bhat is expected to be the treasurer if reports hold.

The 45-year-old Manhas, who was born in Jammu but played his domestic cricket for Delhi, scored 9714 runs in 157 First-Class matches. He also amassed 4126 runs in 130 List A matches, besides scoring 1170 runs in 91 T20s.

In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Pune Warriors India (PWI) and Delhi Capitals (DC). Overall in 55 matches, he scored 514 runs at a strike rate of