WITH the deadline to file nominations less than a week away (September 20, 21), there has been intense speculation over the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). State association BCCI members in the know say consultations with the appropriate authorities in the BJP-led central government will begin soon regarding the selection of the new BCCI chief.
It is no secret that the BJP will have a major say in the formation of the next set of office-bearers, and it is likely that a former player will head the board, in line with the recent trend. In 2019, the party backed Sourav Ganguly, an accomplished former India skipper, and in 2022 it chose Roger Binny, a World Cup winner.

To contest the election, a candidate must be nominated by a state unit and based on the list of state association representatives who will attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election on September 28, there are three internationals: Sourav Ganguly (Bengal), Harbhajan Singh (Punjab), and Raghuram Bhatt (Karnataka).
Names of a couple of domestic cricket stalwarts, such as Jaydev Shah (Saurashtra) and Mithun Minhas (J&K), are also on the list, but the general belief is that the government prefers an international. This trend is evident in other major national sporting bodies too, such as the Indian Olympic Association (PT Usha), Hockey India (Dilip Tirkey), and the All India Football Federation (Kalyan Chaubey).

Ganguly is set to take over as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), but nothing would prevent him from returning to the BCCI if chosen again for the role. Harbhajan Singh, with more than 100 Tests to his name, was a surprise pick by the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) as its nominee. He has remained silent since his name surfaced, as has Raghuram Bhatt (67), who played two home Tests against the West Indies in 1983.

Another aspirant is Rajeev Shukla, a permanent fixture in BCCI elections since the days of Jagmohan Dalmiya. He is the current vice-president and has been serving as acting president after Roger Binny turned 70, the age limit for an office-bearer under the constitution. He too has remained silent on his chances.

Sanjay Naik not in the race
As for other posts, contrary to speculation, sources say Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) Sanjay Naik is unlikely to be considered for any office-bearer position, including the chairmanship of the IPL Governing Council. Recently, there have been reports that the MCA vice-president could be in line for a major role in the BCCI. However, he will be representing the MCA at the AGM.
As has already been reported, incumbents Devajit Saikia (Assam) and Prabhtej Bhatia (Chhattisgarh) will continue as secretary and treasurer. However, there is some confusion over Rohan Dessai for the joint secretary post because of issues in his home state, Goa. The posts of vice-president and IPL chairmanship are still up for grabs, and clarity is expected to emerge in a day or two. (Cricbuzz)