Former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas, a stalwart of the Ranji circuit, is almost certain to walk into the BCCI presidency unopposed when the board meets in Mumbai on 28 September. By the close of nominations on Saturday evening his was the only name on the table, leaving little room for last-minute drama unless someone rushes in fresh papers before Sunday’s deadline.
“It’s quite straightforward this time,” a senior state-association official remarked. “Everyone agreed we needed a cricketer who understands the domestic grind.”
Key facts first
• Manhas, 45, played 157 first-class matches between 1997-98 and 2016-17, scoring 9,714 runs.
• He captained Delhi, shifted to Jammu & Kashmir late in his career, and now sits on the BCCI-appointed sub-committee overseeing J&K cricket.
• The president’s chair has been vacant since Roger Binny stepped down in August; vice-president Rajeev Shukla has been filling in.
• Former India left-arm spinner Raghuram Bhat, currently Karnataka State Cricket Association president, is the lone candidate for treasurer.
How we got here
Several current and former board heavyweights – including ICC chairman Jay Shah, Shukla, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, DDCA president Rohan Jaitley and ex-secretary Niranjan Shah – gathered informally in Delhi on Saturday. According to two people present, consensus around Manhas “took barely ten minutes”.
Shukla kept it brief when asked about the meeting. “Continuity matters, but so does fresh thinking,” he said. “Mithun ticks both boxes.”
Treasurer race – really a stroll
Bhat, 65, is expected to slide into the treasurer’s seat vacated by Prabhtej Bhatia, who in turn will move to joint-secretary. Bhat, who bagged 374 first-class wickets, has spent the past three years modernising accounts at the KSCA. “Numbers aren’t scary if you’ve spent a life reading batting cards,” he joked recently at a state-association event.
What happens to the rest?
• Saikia stays on as secretary.
• Shukla keeps the vice-presidency.
• Former Saurashtra captain Jaydev Shah is tipped for the Apex Council, replacing Khairul Jamal Majumdar, likely to join the IPL Governing Council.
Why Manhas?
Plenty of administrators argue the board needs leaders who have “felt the heat of a Ranji quarter-final”, as one former selector put it. Manhas’ coaching stints – he has worked with Bangladesh Under-19s and three IPL franchises – also count in his favour. “Domestic cricket taught me resilience, coaching showed me patience,” he told Hindustan Times back in 2017, a quote that still does the rounds whenever his administrative credentials are discussed.
The bigger picture
Indian cricket’s power structure rarely changes without back-room negotiation, yet this cycle appears unusually calm. One explanation is that the ICC chairmanship, held by Jay Shah, has absorbed much of the political oxygen, leaving national posts to well-liked former players. Another is the board’s current financial health; record media rights deals mean fewer seats at the money table to fight over.
Challenges ahead
Manhas faces the usual to-do list: domestic scheduling, player workload, continued investment in women’s cricket, and the small matter of an ICC events cycle stretching into the next decade. “Whoever takes charge must keep state units aligned,” warned Prakash Podar, a former NCA coach who has seen more board meetings than most would ever want. “One bad meeting and you’re fire-fighting for six months.”
Casual fans may wonder why a seemingly administrative shuffle matters. In the BCCI, the president still signs off on major policy, even if the secretary wields day-to-day clout. A president with recent dressing-room experience could, in theory, bring player concerns to the table quicker than career administrators.
Looking ahead
Unless a surprise nomination lands before midnight Sunday, the AGM will be more rubber-stamp than contest. For now, Manhas is keeping a low profile. A brief text reply on Saturday evening read: “Appreciate the messages, but I’ll speak only after the formal process ends.” Fair enough – the domestic giant has waited this long; a few more days won’t hurt.
In any case, the next time the board gathers, it is likely to be chaired by a man whose first love was a red-ball stitched in season, not a spreadsheet – though he will need to master both rather quickly.
