Who is Mithun Manhas? The Surprise New BCCI President

Former cricketer Mithun Manhas has been picked as the new BCCI president, taking over from Roger Binny. Big names like Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh were also in the running, but after a key meeting in Delhi, Manhas was chosen for the top post. Apart from that, it was confirmed that the veteran administrator Rajeev Shukla will retain his spot as the vice-president.

Mithun Manhas Named New BCCI President

Another veteran administrator from Karnataka, Raghuram Bhatt, is set to take over as the new treasurer, while Arun Dhumal will retain his spot as IPL chairman. Devajit Saikia, who replaced Jay Shah as the BCCI chairman, will continue in his post. Mithun Manhas’ name came as a surprise since he wasn’t really in the talks before the meeting.

Who is Mithun Manhas?

He started his career in the 1997/98 season and went on to play 157 first-class matches, scoring 9,714 runs at an average of 45.82. Known as a reliable red-ball batter who could also bowl a bit, Manhas never made it to the Indian team, mainly because the middle order was already filled with greats like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. In domestic cricket, he served as the captain of Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, winning them the title in the 2007/08 season.

In that season, the 45-year-old led by example, scoring 921 runs at an average of 57.56. When it comes to white ball cricket, he played 221 matches, but again, he never got the opportunity to represent the national team. He has featured for India A in the past, before retiring in 2017. In the IPL, Manhas has featured in 55 matches. Over the years, he has played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Pune Warriors India (which is no longer part of the league), and Chennai Super Kings. Across these games, he scored 514 runs at a strike rate of 109.36.

After retiring from cricket, Manhas moved into cricket administration and has worked with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). He has also represented the board at BCCI’s past annual general meetings. On Sunday, September 21, he submitted his nomination for the BCCI president’s post, which will be officially confirmed at the next AGM on September 28.

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