Mithun Manhas grabbed headlines on Sunday, September as he emerged as a frontrunner to become the new Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and replace Roger Binny.
Manhas is all set to after he emerged as the favourite following a meeting between the key decision-makers in Indian cricket on Saturday to discuss candidates for several positions.
According to sources, Manhas is expected to be elected unopposed as BCCI President and become the latest former player to be in the role, following in the footsteps of Binny and Sourav Ganguly. The 45-year-old has a storied domestic career and a Virat Kohli connection associated with him.
Who is Mithun Manhas?
Born in Jammu and Kashmir on October 12, 1979, Manhas was known to be a stalwart of the Indian domestic circuit, despite not playing a single match for the national team. He was known to be a utility player, who would bat right-handed, bowl the occasional off-spin and even keep wickets when needed.
With the big players away on national duty, it was Manhas who would serve as the captain of Delhi. In fact, he was the skipper of the side when a young Virat Kohli made his debut for the team and has since shared a great bond with the star batter.
In an interview with Wasaaf Jeelani, Manhas shared that he would call Kohli ‘Appu’ instead of his usual nickname of ‘Cheeku’.
During an 18-year first-class career, Manhas played a total of 157 matches and scored 9,714 runs at an average of just under 46. During this time, he scored 27 centuries and 49 fifties. Manhas’ best season came in 2007-08 when he captained Delhi to the Ranji Trophy title and ended a long championship drought for his side. During that season, the former cricketer scored 921 runs at an average of 57.56.
In 2015, Manhas moved back to Jammu and Kashmir, the state of his birth and played for them before retiring the following year.
What teams did Mithun Manhas play for?
Apart from Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, Manhas represented three teams in the IPL during his career. He started his IPL career with the Delhi Daredevils and was a part of the franchise from 2008 to 2010. Then he moved to the Pune Warriors and played for them from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, he moved to Chennai Super Kings.
What is Mithun Manhas’s experience in cricket administration or coaching?
Following his retirement from cricket, Manhas took up coaching and returned to the IPL in 2017 as the assistant coach for Punjab Kings. He also worked as a batting consultant for the Bangladesh U-19 team and served in the role for two years.
Then he would be reunited with Kohli at RCB and served as their assistant coach. He currently does the same role with the Gujarat Titans. Manhas has experience in cricket administration as he has worked as the director of cricket operations with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).