New Delhi, September 21: Former Delhi cricket captain Mithun Manhas officially filed his nomination for the post of BCCI President on Sunday. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the development, stating, "Mithun Manhas filed his nomination in front of me." As of now, Manhas is the sole candidate for the position, which has remained vacant since Roger Binny stepped down in August. In the interim, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has been overseeing the responsibilities as acting president, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Sources indicate that another former cricketer is also expected to join the BCCI's leadership. Raghuram Bhat, the former Indian spinner and current head of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, is tipped to be appointed as the new treasurer.
Manhas, who will turn 46 next month, has maintained a significant presence in cricket administration. He is currently part of a BCCI-appointed sub-committee that supervises the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association. Born in Jammu, Manhas moved to Jammu & Kashmir in 2015 after his Delhi stint and retired from professional cricket in 2016. Since then, he has been actively involved in coaching, having worked with IPL teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans. Additionally, he served as the batting consultant for Bangladesh’s Under-19 team.
As a player, Manhas had a stellar domestic career, featuring in 157 first-class matches between 1997 and 2017, where he scored 9,714 runs. He also played 130 List A games, accumulating 4,126 runs, and 91 T20s, scoring 1,170 runs. His contribution makes him one of the most prolific batters in India’s domestic circuit.
The idea of Manhas running for BCCI President emerged during an informal meeting held in Delhi on Saturday. The meeting was attended by several key figures, including ICC Chairman Jay Shah, Rajeev Shukla, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley, and former Board Secretary Niranjan Shah, according to ESPNcricinfo.
The BCCI’s Annual General Meeting is scheduled for September 28 in Mumbai, during which elections for various office bearers will take place. However, unless new nominations emerge, the names discussed at the Delhi meeting are expected to be finalized. Devajit Saikia is likely to continue as BCCI Secretary, while Rajeev Shukla is set to remain Vice-President. Prabhtej Bhatia, the current treasurer, is expected to step into the role of Joint Secretary, replacing Rohan Desai. Additionally, former Saurashtra captain Jaydev Shah is expected to join the Apex Council, taking the place of Mizoram’s Khairul Jamal Majumdar, who is likely to be appointed to the IPL Governing Council.
