Mithun Manhas. Photo: Collected

MUMBAI, Sept 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Former domestic player and administrator 
Mithun Manhas was unanimously elected on Sunday as president of India's 
cricket board, the sport's most powerful national body.

Manhas was the only nominee to be chief of the Board of Control for Cricket 
in India (BCCI) and was appointed after the board's annual general meeting in 
Mumbai.

Rajeev Shukla was elected as vice-president, while Devajit Saikia will stay 
on as secretary, the BCCI said in a statement.

Manhas, 45, never played for India but turned to the game's administration 
after his first-class playing career ended.

He replaces India's former World Cup-winner Roger Binny, who quit in August 
after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Cricket's massive popularity in India has helped the BCCI become by far the 
wealthiest of all of the sport's boards, netting massive money from 
sponsorship and TV deals.

Manhas' rise has apparently been backed by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata 
Party (BJP).

He was chosen at a key meeting in New Delhi last week that was also attended 
by senior BJP members, Indian media reported.

The meeting was held at the residence of India's Home Minister Amit Shah, who 
is the father of International Cricket Council chief Jay Shah.

Manhas most recently worked as director of the cricket association in Indian-
administered Kashmir.

A middle-order batsman who scored 9,714 runs at an average of 45.82 in 157 
domestic matches, Manhas remained on the fringes of national selection.

Cricket pundits have said he was unlucky to play in the same era as Indian 
greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.

He was also overshadowed by the presence of Virender Sehwag and Gautam 
Gambhir in his Delhi team, but led the side with those two star players often 
on national duty.

Manhas played more than 50 matches in the Indian Premier League but shone in 
his administrative capacity, where he was central to the development of 
grassroots cricket in Jammu and Kashmir.