As the chatter grows around Mithun Manhas being the favourite to become the next president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), cricket fans are revisiting some fascinating chapters from his career. One such chapter connects him directly with Virat Kohli - the modern icon of Indian cricket.
Few know that Kohli made his Ranji Trophy debut under Manhas's captaincy, and years later, the two reunited in the Indian Premier League when Manhas served as assistant coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2019.
Born on October 12, 1979, Manhas was the heartbeat of Delhi cricket for nearly two decades. A gritty right-handed batter and occasional off-spinner, he became the fulcrum of Delhi's middle order. His leadership was instrumental
in ending the capital side's Ranji Trophy drought during the 2007-08 season, when Delhi lifted the title after 16 years. That season, he piled up 921 runs at an average of 57.57, showcasing why teammates considered him the backbone of the team.
Over an illustrious first-class career spanning from 1998 to 2016, Manhas played 157 matches, amassing 9,714 runs at an average of 45.82, with 27 hundreds and 49 fifties. His List A record - 4,126 runs in 130 matches at 45.84 - was equally impressive. He also featured in 91 T20s, scoring 1,170 runs, and played 44 games in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors, and Chennai Super Kings.
Manhas's connection with Kohli remains one of the most interesting subplots of his career. When a young Virat first broke into the Delhi Ranji side, it was Manhas who was leading the team, guiding the future star in his early domestic outings. Years later, when Kohli had become a global icon and captain of RCB, fate brought them together again, this time with Manhas in the dugout as an assistant coach.
In a 2024 podcast with Wasaaf Jeelani, Manhas revealed that Virat's first nickname was not Cheeku, but he addressed him as 'Appu' because of his chubby structure back then. Later on, King Kohli transformed himself as perhaps the fittest cricketer in the history of the game and still growing strong at the age of 36+.
After retiring, Manhas built a solid coaching resume. He was part of Kings XI Punjab's support staff in 2017, served as batting consultant for Bangladesh's Under-19 team until 2019, and joined RCB before moving to Gujarat Titans as assistant coach in 2022.
Now, as he stands on the verge of becoming BCCI president, Manhas's journey - from mentoring a debutant Kohli to potentially steering Indian cricket administration - feels like a full circle moment.
