How One Meeting Led To Mithun Manhas Becoming BCCI President - Big Details Emerge

Former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas is reportedly all set to become the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President. Several media reports claimed that he is set to be elected unopposed at the board's annual general meeting (AGM) on September 28. While the news came as a surprise to many, a report by Times Of India revealed the details about a high-profile meeting where the decision over Manhas was taken. According to the report, the BCCI found themselves in a 'fix' with no clean choice emerging for the position. The board was clear about the fact that they wanted a cricketer to fill the spot in accordance with the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha committee's recommendations, which were included in the BCCI constitution in 2019.

As a result, the available options were Manhas, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, Raghuram Bhat and Harbhajan Singh. 

However, it was BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia who backed Manhas for the role and the decision was finally taken in the early hours of Saturday.

"It wasn't a straightforward decision for the forces in the BCCI. All the technicalities were discussed around Manhas. Legal opinion was taken in this regard. The meeting went on almost till midnight. The board found a way around to have a cricketer as the president," a BCCI source told TOI.

Manhas will become the first person from Jammu and Kashmir to head the BCCI. The 45-year-old moved to Delhi after playing U-16 cricket for Jammu and Kashmir. He will also become the first uncapped cricketer to become the BCCI President.

Manhas played 157 first-class matches and even captained the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag during his time with Delhi. He represented Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors and Chennai Super Kings.

Topics mentioned in this article

Mithun Manhas BCCI Cricket