Mithun Manhas, a former Delhi captain who played for three Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises over the course of his career, has officially been named the new BCCI president.

Rajiv Shukla, who was named the interim BCCI president after Roger Binny’s exit from the top job, is set to continue as vice-president. Manhas, a veteran of 157 first-class games, has been named the 37th BCCI president. This surprise development has not only raised eyebrows but also left the cricket fraternity in the country in disbelief, as no one saw it coming.

The BCCI also announced the appointment of two new selectors, with Ajit Agarkar continuing as the men’s selection committee chairman. The duo of RP Singh and Pragya Ojha joined Shiv Sundar Das, Ajit Agarkar, and Ajay Ratra in the selection panel.

“A momentous occasion to celebrate! Mithun Manhas has been officially declared as the new President of the ‘Board of Control for Cricket in India’ #BCCI. What a providential Sunday for the erstwhile district of Doda, one of the remotest parts of Jammu & Kashmir, which incidentally also happens to be my own home district,” Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh shared on X, officially announcing Manhas’ appointment as the new BCCI president.

He has an impressive tally of 9,714 first-class runs with 27 centuries, along with 4,126 runs in List A matches. Manhas featured for a total of three IPL franchises in his career: Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors, and Chennai Super Kings. Despite his notable performances in the domestic arena, Manhas never had the opportunity to make his India debut. He also worked as a coach with IPL franchise, Gujarat Titans in the 2022 season.

After Gautam Gambhir’s return to the Delhi state team as its captain in 2016-17, Manhas decided to move to Jammu and Kashmir. There, he played a season with modest returns before taking up the role of an administrator, hoping to clean up the mess the state cricket body was in.

Fast-forwarding to the present, Manhas has been given one of the biggest jobs in Indian cricket.

With PTI Inputs