Mithun Manhas Elected as New BCCI President, Amita Sharma to Lead Women’s Selection Panel

Mithun Manhas Elected as New BCCI President: Former Delhi captain Mithun Manhas has been unanimously elected as the new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Mumbai on Sunday, September 28, 2025. He succeeds Roger Binny, who stepped down last month after turning 70, in line with the board’s age policy.

Manhas, who becomes the 37th president of the BCCI, was the consensus choice following informal discussions among the board’s top decision-makers earlier this month. A seasoned cricketer, Manhas played 157 First-Class, 130 List A, and 55 IPL matches between 1997 and 2017. He scored over 9,700 First-Class runs, including 27 centuries, and more than 4,000 List A runs, establishing himself as one of domestic cricket’s most consistent performers.

Key Appointments at the AGM

Alongside Manhas’ election, the AGM confirmed several important administrative changes:

• Devajit Saikia retained his position as BCCI secretary.

• Arun Dhumal continues as chairman of the IPL Governing Council.

• Former India cricketer and KSCA chief Raghuram Bhat was elected treasurer.

• Prabhtej Bhatia moved to joint secretary, replacing Rohan Gauns Desai.

• Jaydev Shah, president of the Saurashtra Cricket Association, joined the Apex Council in place of Dilip Vengsarkar.

Amita Sharma to Head Women’s Selection Panel

In a significant development for women’s cricket, Amita Sharma, former India fast bowler with 116 ODIs to her name, was appointed as the new chairperson of the women’s selection committee, succeeding Neetu David. She will be joined by Shyama Dey, Jaya Sharma, and Sravanthi Naidu. Their tenure will begin after the Women’s World Cup, scheduled in India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2.

For the men’s team, R.P. Singh and Pragyan Ojha were inducted into the selection panel, while former Tamil Nadu batter S. Sharath returned to the junior selection committee.

Reactions to Manhas’ Appointment

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who attended the AGM as Punjab Cricket Association’s representative, hailed the move of having a cricketer lead the BCCI.

“When a cricketer heads the board, his experience brings immense value. I’ve known Mithun since our Under-19 days, and I’m very happy for him. I hope he focuses on strengthening infrastructure across the country so no young player is left behind due to lack of facilities,” Harbhajan said.

He also praised the BCCI’s efforts in expanding cricket to smaller venues and urged the board under Manhas’ leadership to contribute to relief efforts in flood-hit Punjab and other northern states.

With Manhas at the helm, expectations are high that the BCCI will continue its growth while prioritizing player welfare and infrastructure development.