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Mumbai: Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh are prominent India cricketers nominated by their respective state units to attend the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) AGM on September 28. In the same meeting, BCCI elections will be conducted and it remains to be seen if as per recent precedent (Ganguly 2019-22, Roger Binny 2022-25), a former player becomes president again.
For the 38 unit-strong BCCI, the deadline to nominate representatives ended on Friday night. The new set of office bearers will be elected from this mix. Former India stumper from Baroda Cricket Association Kiran More is one name outside the nominated representatives doing the round for the top post, although it remains to be seen if by virtue of having attended past BCCI AGMs, he qualifies.
Other than Ganguly and Harbhajan, former India spinner Raghuram Bhatt (Karnataka State Cricket Association) and Jaydev Shah, former Saurashtra captain, also Saurashtra Cricket Association president are those with playing pedigree, nominated to attend the AGM.
Ganguly was nominated by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and is likely to contest for the state unit’s top post, marking his return to cricket administration. In 2019, Ganguly became the first former India captain to be elected BCCI president.
For Harbhajan, nominated by the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), this would be his first BCCI AGM. Although the former spin bowler hasn’t been involved in active administration, he could be considered for one of the office bearer’s posts or for a place in the IPL Governing Council.
For the past six years, ever since BCCI returned to electoral process from the Committee of Administrators, office bearers have been elected with unanimity and no elections have been conducted. Nominations for elected posts will be filed on September 21.
Other than the president’s post, there will be at least one more change among office bearers, most likely for vice president. The incumbent Rajiv Shukla has moved to become active president after Binny had to vacate the Chair after crossing the age cap of 70 years. Devajit Saikia (secretary), Prabhtej Bhatia (Treasurer), Rohan Desai (Jt secretary) are all eligible for another term.
Mumbai Cricket Association will be represented by their vice president Sanjay Naik. Himachal Cricket Association by Arun Dhumal, currently IPL Chairman. Shukla who has a little over a year left to remain eligible for an elected BCCI post will be representing Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association.
