The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to elect its next President, and the event will take place during its Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled for September 28 at 11:30 AM at its Mumbai
headquarters. The session is likely to introduce changes in key leadership positions as well as amendments to its constitutional framework. A major highlight will be the keenly awaited contest for the roles of IPL Chairman and BCCI President, with incumbent Roger Binny ruled out of the race due to ineligibility. The AGM also comes on the heels of fantasy sports platform Dream11 ending its sponsorship deal with the Indian cricket team, a move influenced by the recent passage of the Online Gaming Bill in Parliament.
An interesting aspect is that the BCCI AGM falls on the day of the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, the election will take place for all major current posts, but will be effective for only one position; the rest will likely continue. Among these is the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who has completed his three years, including two years and three months as the joint secretary will continue in his position.
BCCI's search for a new IPL Chairman, looking to add two new contenders
The board is also in search of a new IPL chairman, since the current head, Arun Dhumal, is expected to enter a mandatory three-year cooling-off period after serving a cumulative six years in office. Due to this, it gave way to new contenders for the post. The two most common front-runners are former Mumbai Cricket Association secretary Sanjay Naik and current BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla. Shukla, whose tenure as vice-president began in 2020, still has a year remaining under the Lodha Constitution. However, his continuation could hinge on the proposed National Sports Governance Act. If the act is implemented before the 2026 AGM, the Rajya Sabha MP may not be required to undergo a cooling-off period.
Joint secretary Rohan Gauns Desai and Prabhtej Bhatia, both in their first year, will continue with their current positions. Meanwhile, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia while speaking to ANI said, "Very soon, there will be a notice coming out regarding the next course of action. And also, the AGM is due before September 30. BCCI is going to follow its constitution, which is in place. According to the constitution, we have to conduct our AGM before the end of September every year. So this year also, there will be no deviation. We’ll have our AGM before September 30. And the notice regarding the exact date, time, and venue will be issued in a day or two."
