Arun Singh Dhumal is set to retain his position as IPL Governing Council chairman after Electoral Officer AK Joti formally notified elections for two general body seats on the council under Rule 28 of the BCCI Constitution. The BCCI Annual General Meeting at which the election will be conducted is scheduled for September 18, 2026.
Dhumal, who represents Himachal Pradesh in the BCCI general body, is the incumbent chairman and faces no reported rival nomination. Khairul Jamal Majumdar, the Mizoram representative
and the other sitting member whose term is up for renewal, is similarly on course to return without a contest. Both men are among the four general body representatives who occupy elected seats on the seven-member council.
The remaining three seats on the IPL Governing Council are held by the BCCI Chief Executive Officer, a representative from the Indian Cricketers Association and a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. The other two general body positions on the council belong to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and treasurer Raghuram Bhat, who hold those roles by virtue of their BCCI office and are not part of this election.
What does Rule 28 of the BCCI Constitution govern for the IPL Governing Council?
Rule 28 of the BCCI Constitution sets out the framework under which general body members are elected to the IPL Governing Council. It mandates that four such members sit on the council, with two of those seats going to a vote at each AGM. Members elected through this route serve a one-year term before their position comes up for renewal at the following AGM.
The notification issued by Electoral Officer Joti triggers the formal election cycle for the two seats currently held by Dhumal and Majumdar. Until the final contestant list is published on September 12, 2026, the possibility of a contested election remains open, though no rival nominations have been reported at this stage.
What is the election timeline leading to the September 18 AGM?
State associations had until August 31, 2026, to submit applications designating their representatives for the AGM. The Final Electoral Roll, which determines which associations are eligible to participate in the proceedings, is due to be released on September 8, 2026.
Candidates wishing to contest the two IPL Governing Council seats must file their nominations by September 9 or 10, 2026. The confirmed list of contestants will then be published on September 12, 2026, six days before the AGM. If no rival nominations are received by that deadline, Dhumal and Majumdar will be returned unopposed, and the election will not proceed to a vote.
Should the September 12 notification confirm an uncontested field, both incumbents will formally retain their council seats at the AGM on September 18, 2026, continuing the administrative structure that has been in place for the current IPL Governing Council cycle.
