Mithun Manhas has been elected the 37th president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The announcement came during the board’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai on Sunday, where he was elected unopposed.

Manhas, hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, is the first person from the region to lead the world’s richest cricket board. Remarkably, he is also the first uncapped player to hold this prestigious position.

Continuity in BCCI Leadership

Alongside Manhas, other key office-bearers continue in their roles:

• BCCI Secretary: Devajit Saikia

• Vice-President: Rajeev Shukla

• Joint-Secretary: Prabhtej Bhatia of Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh

• Treasurer: Former India spinner Raghuram Bhat

Former Players Applaud the Move

Harbhajan Singh, attending the AGM as Punjab Cricket Association’s representative, welcomed Manhas’ appointment.

“When a cricketer heads a cricket body, his experience and other qualities help. It’s a good decision and it’s been happening for the last three terms which is a great thing for the cricketers as well for him to give something back to the game,” Harbhajan said.

He added, “I’ve played a lot of cricket with Mithun since U19 days and I am very happy for him.”

Harbhajan also emphasized infrastructure development. “I hope that those things which he perhaps didn’t get in terms of facilities as a cricketer, he ensures that no young cricketer is left behind due to lack of infrastructure. A lot of development is taking place across the country. New grounds are coming up in new places and cricket is going to smaller venues. I hope Mithun will carry forward the same legacy and does a great job.”

Manhas’ Cricketing Journey

Manhas, 45, succeeds Roger Binny, who stepped down after turning 70. Binny, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning squad, served nearly three years as BCCI president.

Manhas filed his nomination on September 21, aligning with the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee’s recommendation that a former player should lead the board.

A former Delhi cricketer, Manhas had a long domestic career from 1997-98 to 2016-17, playing:

• 157 First-Class matches with 9,714 runs, including 27 centuries

• 130 List A matches with 4,126 runs

• 55 IPL matches

Experience Beyond Playing

While his rise may surprise some, Manhas is no stranger to cricket administration. Towards the end of his playing career, he returned to Jammu and Kashmir, played a season, and then focused on administration. He served on a BCCI sub-committee overseeing the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).

He also brings coaching experience, having worked with teams like Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Gujarat Titans, and acted as a consultant for Bangladesh’s U-19 men’s cricket team.

A New Era for BCCI

With Mithun Manhas at the helm, the BCCI enters a new chapter with a former player’s perspective, a focus on grassroots infrastructure, and the potential to strengthen cricket across India, particularly in regions like Jammu and Kashmir.