Mumbai: Former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas filed his nomination for the post of BCCI president at the board’s headquarters here on Sunday, taking the cricket fraternity by surprise.
Manhas, who played 157 First-Class, 130 List A and 55 IPL matches in a long domestic career from 1997-98 to 2016-17, emerged as a front runner to take over the role left vacant by the exit of Roger Binny last month.
The 45-year-old Manhas’ name came to the fore after an informal meeting held in New Delhi, where it was decided by the powers that be to put forth his name for the role of BCCI president.
A few other key positions in the Indian cricket board will be filled up here next Sunday during the annual general meeting of the Board.
“A new body is being made for the next term. Mithun Manhas is a former player and it was decided to make him the president. Arun Dhumal is the chairman of the IPL governing council and he will continue in that position,” BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla told the media here.
Among those who filed their nominations were BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, IPL governing council chairman Arun Dhumal, and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president and former India cricketer Raghuram Bhat, who is in the fray to become the Board’s treasurer.
Prabhtej Bhatia, who was the treasurer will replace Rohan Gauns Desai as the joint secretary. Saurashtra CA president Jaydev Shah will replace Dilip Vengsarkar in the Apex Council.
Saikia filed his nomination to continue as the secretary of the BCCI, having taken up the role in January this year.
“I have been the secretary for the last few months, my colleagues wanted me to file the nominations so I did,” Saikia said.
Saikia said the Indian team for the two-Test series against the West Indies will be picked in a couple of days.
“The team will be picked on September 23 or 24. The selection meeting will be held online,” he said.
The first Test will be played in Ahmedabad from October 2-6 while the second will be in New Delhi from October 10-14.
It will be the first home assignment in the World Test Championship cycle 2025-27 for Shubman Gill’s side.
Gill took over as India’s full-time Test captain in June this year ahead of the tour to England.
