New Delhi— All eyes in the cricketing fraternity are set on September 28, when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will elect its new set of office bearers. The biggest question revolves around the post of president, as incumbent Roger Binny’s tenure has ended. Currently, vice-president Rajeev Shukla is serving as interim chairman.
According to reports, a key meeting is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 20, likely at the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where senior members of the ruling party and BCCI officials are expected to discuss the leadership transition. While the official announcement is expected on September 28, the September 20 meeting is expected to decide the next president in principle.
This development echoes the events of 2022, when a similar closed-door meeting determined the course of BCCI leadership. Back then, former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was widely tipped for a second term but was eventually replaced by Roger Binny after a round of internal criticism led by former president N. Srinivasan.
Speculation is rife once again. Sourav Ganguly’s name has resurfaced, along with his former teammate Harbhajan Singh, ex-Test cricketer from Karnataka Raghuram Bhat, and former India wicketkeeper Kiran More. While More is not among the official representatives attending the Annual General Meeting (AGM), provisions allow for such candidacies.
Meanwhile, the BCCI election officer A.K. Joti, in his notification dated September 6, stated that the final voter list will be issued by September 19 after examining and resolving objections. This leaves state associations with just 24 hours to confirm or alter their nominees for the AGM.
As political and cricketing circles watch closely, the outcome of the September 20 meeting could set the stage for the announcement later this month. Whether it will be a former stalwart like Ganguly, a fresh face like Harbhajan, or a seasoned administrator like Kiran More remains the burning question in Indian cricket.
