Delhi Meeting With Amit Shah to Seal BCCI President? Election May Just Be Formality
BCCI will elect its new president on September 28, but a key Delhi meeting on September 20 could decide the real winner.
The race for the next BCCI president is heating up, but the official election on September 28 may only be a formality.
A closed-door meeting in Delhi on September 20, hosted at Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence, is expected to decide who will take charge of Indian cricket’s most powerful body.
These informal discussions have often been more decisive than the actual vote. Back in 2022, a similar gathering changed the course for Sourav Ganguly, who was then BCCI president.
Despite being eligible for another term, he lost out after sharp criticism from former board boss N Srinivasan. The meeting eventually cleared the way for Roger Binny to become president.
This time, there are several names in play. Ganguly’s name has surfaced again, along with his former teammate Harbhajan Singh. Karnataka’s Raghuram Bhatt is also being talked about, while former India wicketkeeper Kiran More has surprisingly entered the chatter.
More’s case may look weak since his name does not appear in the official list of state representatives, but that list can still be altered before September 19, which is the deadline set by the BCCI’s electoral officer.
By Saturday night, a clearer picture is likely to emerge in Delhi. While the ruling BJP does not directly run cricket affairs, it is known to prefer having former athletes lead national sports bodies. That could influence who gets the final nod.
Even as the election drama unfolds, the BCCI has started interviews for new selectors. On September 18, the Cricket Advisory Committee, with Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjpe, spoke to candidates online. Sulakshana Naik, who was earlier part of the panel, has stepped away, and the BCCI may bring in a new member.
Seven selectors will be picked in total. Two will join Ajit Agarkar’s men’s selection panel, one will go to the junior committee, and four will handle women’s cricket. They are expected to take charge after the September 28 Annual General Meeting.
