SRINAGAR: Former Delhi skipper Mithun Manhas has emerged as the leading contender to become the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), reports appearing in the media said.
According to reports, some seasoned BCCI administrators and key decision makers held an informal meeting in Mumbai on Saturday to finalise candidates for the vacant posts ahead of the annual general meeting (AGM) scheduled for September 28. Those in contention, including Manhas and Raghuram Bhatt, president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), were summoned for the discussions.
It has now emerged that the top post could go to Manhas, who has also worked as director of cricket operations with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). While he never broke into the Indian national team, Manhas was one of the most prolific players in domestic cricket, featuring in 157 first-class matches and scoring 9,714 runs at an average of over 45, including 27 centuries. He also played 130 List A games and 91 T20 matches for Delhi, and appeared in the IPL with Chennai Super Kings, the erstwhile Delhi Daredevils, and the now-defunct Pune Warriors.
Reports said that while Bhatt, a former Indian spinner whose tenure as KSCA president ends on September 30, may be considered for one of the other vacant positions, he is unlikely to contest the KSCA elections later this year. Former India wicketkeeper Kiran More is also seen as a potential candidate, as the ruling BJP is said to be keen on involving sportspersons in key cricket administration slots, though the party generally avoids direct intervention in sports bodies.
Saturday’s meeting, however, did not include former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, who will represent the Cricket Association of Bengal at the AGM, nor Harbhajan Singh, nominated by the Punjab Cricket Association, reports said.
Currently, the BCCI is preparing to appoint a successor to President Roger Binny and a new IPL chairman, with incumbent Arun Dhumal set to undergo a mandatory cooling-off period after completing six years in office.
In other developments, reports said Pragyan Ojha will replace S Sharath in the national senior men’s selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar. Sharath will move to the junior selection committee, replacing VS Thilak Naidu as chairman. Former India pacer RP Singh is expected to take the place of Subroto Banerjee. The new members will assume their roles from September 28, meaning the current senior panel will select the Indian team for the upcoming two-Test home series against the West Indies starting October 2.
The election process for the BCCI will open with the filing of nominations on September 21, scrutiny and publication of the final list of candidates on September 23, and voting, if required, during the AGM on September 28.
