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Mithun Manhas Set to Be New BCCI President, Files Nomination Unopposed

Amid intense speculation over the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), former Delhi cricketer Mithun Manhas has emerged as the consensus choice. On Sunday (September 21), the final day for nominations, the 45-year-old filed his papers and is expected to be elected unopposed at the September 28 Annual General Meeting.

Former India spinner Raghuram Bhatt was in contention for the presidency until the last moment but eventually settled for the treasurer’s role. “I will do my best for Indian cricket and the BCCI in whatever way I can,” Bhatt told Cricbuzz after filing his papers.

Other key nominations include Devajit Saikia for secretary and Prabhtej Bhatia for joint secretary, replacing incumbent Rohan Dessai, whose GCA faction recently lost elections. Rajeev Shukla will continue as vice-president, while IPL chairman Arun Dhumal is cleared to retain his position following legal advice on the cooling-off clause.

Manhas, who represented Delhi and J&K in a prolific 18-year first-class career (1998–2016), was nominated by the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association. He has also served as an administrator in JKCA. His surprise elevation came after a late-night meeting in Delhi at a Union Minister’s residence, attended by top BCCI functionaries and senior powerbrokers including Niranjan Shah, Kasi Viswanathan, and Brijesh Patel.

Although high-profile names such as Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh lingered in discussions, the Delhi stalwart ultimately secured the backing of key decision-makers. “His cricketing background has helped him get the position,” said Rajeev Shukla at the BCCI office.

The stage is now set for Mithun Manhas to take charge as the next BCCI president, marking a new chapter in Indian cricket’s administration.