Rajeev Shukla Set to Become Interim BCCI President After Roger Binny Turns 70

Rajeev Shukla, who is the Vice-President of the BCCI, will probably become the temporary President when Roger Binny turns 70 on July 19. Shukla is well-known in the cricket world. He used to be the IPL chairman, has a long history in politics, and even worked as a journalist before. On the other hand, Roger Binny is a former Indian cricketer who played a key role in India’s historic 1983 World Cup win.

Is Rajeev Shukla the new BCCI President?

Sources within the BCCI have told CricBlogger about this development. The transition is in line with the BCCI’s age-cap regulation, which mandates all office-bearers to relinquish their positions upon turning 70.

Discussions are already underway among senior board officials, and Shukla, who has been a central figure in Indian cricket administration for decades, is seen as the natural successor. “(Rajeev) Shukla could be replacing (Roger) Binny in July itself. The board officials are already discussing his name,” a senior BCCI official confirmed to CricBlogger.

Shukla to Serve as President Until BCCI Elections in September

Shukla is expected to remain president until September, when the BCCI will hold its office-bearer elections. A similar thing happened last year, Jay Shah became the ICC chairman and had to step down as BCCI secretary. Devajit Sakia then took over as interim secretary until the elections took place.

BCCI Rule: Presidents Step Down at Age 70

According to the BCCI's rules, any office-bearer, including the president, has to step down once they turn 70 years old. Roger Binny became the BCCI president in October 2022 after Sourav Ganguly's term ended. But since he will turn 70 on July 19, he won’t be allowed to continue in the role after that date.

In such cases, the senior-most vice president takes over as interim president until the board holds new elections. Shukla, who assumed office as vice president on December 24, 2020, fits that criteria and has remained an influential voice in board matters. “Shukla, who currently serves as BCCI vice-president, is a veteran cricket administrator and seasoned politician with prior experience as chairman of IPL,” the source added.

The official word is likely to come out around Binny’s birthday on July 19, but if everything falls into place, Shukla is expected to take charge of BCCI matters this July, even if it's just on an interim basis.

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