Mithun Manhas files nomination, set to be next BCCI president

Mithun Manhas is set to become the new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). (Photo: X)

Former Delhi skipper Mithun Manhas is poised to assume the presidency of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). As the deadline for submitting nominations for board positions closes on Sunday, Manhas is the only candidate for the top role—left unfilled since Roger Binny’s resignation in August, according to ESPNcricinfo. Manhas on Sunday filed his nomination for the post of BCCI president at the Board's headquarters  ahead of the deadline later this afternoon.

Rajeev Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, had served in the position in an interim capacity since. Another former cricketer is also expected to join the board's top brass, with ex-India spinner Raghuram Bhat likely to be appointed as treasurer. Bhat currently heads the Karnataka State Cricket Association.

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Manhas, who turns 46 next month, has been closely involved in cricket administration. He is part of the BCCI-appointed sub-committee that oversees the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association. Born in Jammu, he shifted from Delhi to Jammu & Kashmir in 2015 before retiring the following year. Post-retirement, he has served in several coaching roles, including with Indian Premier League (IPL) teams Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans and also worked as batting consultant with Bangladesh Under-19.

An accomplished domestic cricketer, Manhas featured in 157 first-class matches between 1997 and 2017, amassing 9714 runs. He also played 130 List A games (4126 runs) and 91 T20s (1170 runs), making him one of the most prolific batters in India's domestic circuit.

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Manhas' name came during an informal meeting in Delhi on Saturday, which was attended by several key figures, including ICC chairman Jay Shah, Rajeev Shukla, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley and former board secretary Niranjan Shah, as per ESPNcricinfo.

The elections for various office bearers are scheduled to take place during the BCCI's annual general meeting in Mumbai on September 28. However, unless new nominations surface, the names discussed in the Delhi meeting are set to be final.

It is understood that Devajit Saikia will continue as BCCI secretary, while Shukla is set to remain vice-president. Current treasurer Prabhtej Bhatia is expected to assume the role of joint secretary, replacing Rohan Desai. Meanwhile, former Saurashtra skipper Jaydev Shah is set to join the Apex Council, in place of Mizoram's Khairul Jamal Majumdar, who is likely to move to the IPL Governing Council. (With ANI inputs)