CHENNAI: In June 2021, BCCI had formed a three-member sub-committee to run day-to-day affairs of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. Mithun Manhas, former Delhi and J&K cricketer, was included in the panel as a member of cricket operations and development. Having moved to the national capital after playing age group cricket for the Valley, Manhas had by then led Delhi and returned to J&K in 2015 playing his last few domestic matches before retiring the next season.
Manhas, who played 157 First-Class, 130 List A and 55 IPL matches in a long domestic career from 1997-98 to 2016-17, ventured into coaching post retirement working as a batting consultant for Bangladesh U19 men's team and IPL teams from Punjab, Bengaluru and Gujarat. But his role as an administrator which began four years ago seemed to be his calling with J&K making rapid strides at the domestic circuit. Come Sunday, 45-year-old Manhas in all likelihood will take up his biggest role as an administrator when he assumes the post of the BCCI president replacing former India cricketer Roger Binny.
"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," BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla told journalists at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Sunday. Manhas filed his nomination for the top post on the same day.
Sunday was the last day to file nominations. The election officer will announce the list of validly nominated candidates on Monday while the nominations can be withdrawn in person between 10AM and 1PM on Tuesday. It was learnt that a single nomination has been received for each post after due deliberations with BCCI stakeholders in New Delhi on Saturday. It also means all the candidates will be nominated for their respective posts in the annual general meeting scheduled on coming Sunday, September 28.
BCCI incumbent secretary Devajit Saikia, who replaced Jay Shah this January, will continue in the post while Shukla will also remain as the vice president. Prabhtej Bhatia, of the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh, who was elected treasurer in January, will take over as the joint-secretary, replacing Rohan Desai, former Goa Cricket Association secretary.
Raghuram Bhat will take over as the treasurer while former Saurashtra captain Jaydev Shah may be added to the BCCI Apex Council, and will replace Mizoram's Khairul Jamal Majumdar. Majumdar in turn is likely to join the IPL Governing Council. Arun Dhumal will continue in his role as the chairman of the IPL governing council.
"I have been the secretary for the last few months, my colleagues wanted me to file the nominations so I did,' Saikia told journalists. The BCCI secretary added that 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.
Objections on Bhajji, Bhat's eligibility for AGM rejected by electoral officer
Meanwhile, electoral officer AK Joti also rejected objections filed challenging eligibility of former India cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Bhat to represent their respective state associations in the AGM. Objections were raised against Bhat, Karnataka State Cricket Association president, claiming that he was one of the accused of the unfortunate stampede incident that happened on June 6 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium during victory parade of the 2025 IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The electoral officer observed that the case is under investigation and no chargesheet has been filed so far thus there is no question of disqualification. "Furthermore, on the Verification of Nomination Application Filed on behalf of Karnataka State Cricket Association nominating Mr. Raghuram Bhat as the Representative of KSCA is found to be complete in all aspects. The allegations posed by Mr. VM Manjunath are not legally tenable. Taking into account the Facts stated above, the Objections stand Rejected," read the findings of the electoral officer.
Harbhajan was nominated to represent Punjab Cricket Association in the AGM but a PCA life member Rakesh Handa challenged the move claiming it to be unconstitutional. The electoral officer in his findings observed that the complainant has not been able to substantiate as to how the nomination of representation filed by Harbhajan is invalid or ineligible and hence rejected the plea.