N. Srinivasan gets one-year extension as BCCI president, Ranjib Biswal named IPL chairman

Updates from BCCI's Annual General Meeting in Chennai on September 29:

# Other appointments include that of Amitabh Choudhary to head BCCI's marketing committee while TC Matthew has been selected as the chairman of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Also, general secretary of Andhra Cricket Association Dr. Gokaraju Ganga Raju has been named head of BCCI's finance committee.

# Ranjib Biswal has been named as the new IPL governing council chairman. The 43-year-old piped 'Little Master' Viswanath to the post. He replaces Rajeev Shukla, who resigned as IPL supremo in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing scandal. Biswal played first-class cricket for Orissa between 1987 and 1996 as an all-rounder. He has 2170 runs in his career and has taken 153 wickets. (Related: The battle between Viswanath and Biswal)

# However, there has been no consensus with regards to the post of Indian Premier League chairman. Former India Under-19 captain Ranjib Biswal is considered the frontrunner for the post but faces stiff competition from former India middle-order batsman Gundappa Viswanath. The core committee of the BCCI will meet after lunch to decide on the post. Biswal, who is the son of former Orissa deputy chief minister Basanta Biswal, has been part of Srinivasan's 'core' group and with East Zone's turn to 'vote' a president after 2014, the Orissa official may just win the vote-bank politics ahead of favourite Viswanath.

# BCCI panel: N Srinivasan - President, Sanjay Patel - Secretary, Anurag Thakur- Jt. Secy, Anirudh Chaudhary- Treasurer, Rajeev Shukla- VP Central, SK Bansal- VP North, Ravi Savant- VP West, Shivlal Yadav- VP South, Chitrak Mitra- VP East. (Full report)

# Meanwhile, Sanjay Patel has been confirmed as Secretary of the BCCI while Anirudh Chaudhry has been elected as Treasurer. Vacancies for these posts were created when Sanjay Jagdale and Ajay Shirke resigned in protest against how the inquiry into the IPL betting scandal was handled. The five vice-presidents of the respective zones have also been elected unopposed. The five vice-presidents are Rajeev Shukla (Central zone), SK Bansal (North zone), Ravi Savant (West zone), Shivlal Yadav (South zone) and Chitrak Mitra (East zone).

# N. Srinivasan has been formally elected as president of the BCCI. He has received a one-year extension to his two-year term and will now head the board for another year. Srinivasan was the only candidate to file his nomination so his election as president was a mere formality. However the 68-year-old can take charge only once he is cleared by the Supreme Court in the case filed by the Cricket Association of Bihar.

# N. Srinivasan arrived at a five-star hotel in Chennai to attend to BCCI Annual General meeting, where he will be given a one-year extension as BCCI chief. Srinivasan, who is known as a superstitious man, ensured that the AGM began at 11 am, which is the end of Rahu-Kaal.

# With N. Srinivasan guaranteed of a year's extension as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, much of Saturday evening in a seven-star Chennai hotel was spent discussing a probable candidate for the Indian Premier League chairman's post. Backed by Karnataka's Anil Kumble, former Indian batting star and former national selector Gundappa Viswanath is a top contender for the IPL job.

# BCCI sources reveal that there is an intense battle for the IPL chairman's position. After Rajeev Shukla quit this job in the wake of the betting and spot-fixing scandal, this high-profile spot has been lying vacant. With his immense political connections, Shukla has always been Srinivasan's go-to man in case of government dealings. Shukla (representing Central Zone) has been suitably 'rewarded' and will now remain in Srinivasan's Team BCCI as one of the five vice-presidents.

# But the IPL chairman's position will be under the spotlight. It is learnt that Kumble has been given the job to scout the next man-in-charge. Kumble, who is the president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, is likely to propose Little Master Viswanath's name. A former Indian under-19 captain and a close confidant of Srinivasan from Orissa, Ranjib Biswal (in pic), is also in contention.

# Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was baby-sitting the BCCI for the last four months when Srinivasan went into 'exile', is also in the frame but with age not in his side, the 73-year-old former BCCI chief may lose the race. The BCCI, of course, has a younger option in Haryana's Anirudh Chaudhary, but with former BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra's son set to become the Board treasurer, the options look limited.

# BCCI sources also say Sachin Tendulkar has expressed his desire to play his 200th Test in Mumbai. That probably rules out Eden Gardens as a venue. The Cricket Association of Bengal had written to the Board saying it wanted to host the milestone match at the historic Eden. But Mumbai is likely to be awarded the match out-of-turn and due to sentimental reasons.