Former IPL and domestic cricketer Mithun Manhas is the frontrunner for BCCI President, nominated by the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. If elected, he would be the first uncapped Indian and the first from J&K to hold the top post.
Former IPL cricketer and Delhi captain Mithun Manhas has emerged as the front-runner to become the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Manhas was nominated by the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) for the top post at the BCCI and is reportedly a strong contender ahead of the upcoming elections, which are scheduled to take place during the Annual General Meeting on Sunday, September 28.
The post of BCCI President was left vacant after Roger Binny stepped down from the role after reaching the age cap of 70 years n compliance with the Supreme Court-approved BCCI’s constitution. Rajiv Shukla, the current vice-president of the board, has been appointed as the acting chief until the upcoming elections of the BCCI. The nomination window for the BCCI president began on September 20 and ended on September 21.
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The candidates for the post of BCCI president are nominated by the state associations, and Mithun Manhas has emerged as the frontrunner with strong backing from the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
Who is Mithun Manhas?
Mithun Manhas is one of the well-known cricketers in the domestic circuit, having represented Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir throughout his career from 1998 to 2017. Manhas was a middle-order batter for Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, but never got a chance to play for Team India. Despite consistently performing well in domestic cricket, Manhas never broke into the Indian team as the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, and Sourav Ganguly dominated the lineup during his playing years.
Manhas played for Delhi from 1998 to 2015 before switching to Jammu and Kashmir for Jammu and Kashmir for the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy season, making his debut for the team in September 2015. The 45-year-old had his best domestic season in the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy, helping Delhi to end their 15-year drought of a prestigious title, while emerging as the team’s third-highest run-getter with 598 runs, including 2 centuries and 3 fifties, at an average of 49.83 in nine matches.
Apart from playing domestic cricket, Mithun Manhas plied his trade in the Indian Premier League (IPL), playing for Delhi Daredevils, Chennai Super Kings, and Pune Warriors. In 2015, Manhas became the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the IPL, representing CSK. In his first-class career, Mithun has amassed 9714 runs, including 27 centuries and 49 fifties, at an average of 45.82 in 157 matches.
After retiring from professional cricket in 2017, Mithun Manhas took up coaching duties in the IPL. In 2017, he was appointed as the assistant coach of Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings) before he took up the role of batting consultant for the Bangladesh U-19 team, which he served from 2017 to 2019. In 2019, Manhas served as the assistant coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru).
In 2022, Mithun Manhas was appointed as the assistant coach of the Gujarat Titans. Currently, Manhas is serving as a member of Cricket Operations & Development at Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
Mithun Manhas set to create history
Mithun Manhas has filed his nomination for the BCCI president with the strong backing of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). If Manhas is elected to the top post, he will become the first uncapped Indian cricketer to serve as BCCI president. Also, he is set to become the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to be elected as the BCCI president.
Sourav Ganguly and Roger Binny were the last two were the last two former cricketers to hold the post of BCCI president before Manhas, both having played for India at the international level. Anurag Kashyap was the last non-cricketer to hold the post of BCCI president, representing the trend of administrators from outside the playing arena.
The BCCI President is often elected without any opposition, as consensus candidates are usually agreed upon by the state associations before the Annual General Meeting.
Since Mithun Manhas has emerged as the top contender for the top post of the board, he is widely expected to be elected unopposed as the next BCCI president.