“Will do what’s best…”: Sourav Ganguly on re-election as Cricket Association of Bengal President
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Sourav Ganguly is back leading cricket in Bengal. The former Indian captain and ex-BCCI president just got re-elected unopposed as the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president. He steps in for his brother, Snehasish Ganguly, who held the job for almost three years.
Ganguly filed his nomination last week with no challengers in sight, securing the role without a fight. He first ran the CAB from 2015 to 2019 before taking the top spot at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 2019 to 2022. Roger Binny succeeded him there.
Talking to after his win, Ganguly shared his plans. “I’ve served as president for five years before,” he said. “We’ll keep doing what’s best for cricket. India loves the game—there’s so much talent out there. Our job is to guide it.”
This year, Ganguly also returned as chair of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, a role he started in 2021.
On a high note from the Asia Cup, Ganguly praised India’s strong win over Pakistan in the Super Four stage. Abhishek Sharma smashed 74 runs, and vice-captain Shubman Gill added 47 to chase down 172. “India’s a top team,” Ganguly said. “We’ve got a real shot at the Asia Cup trophy. I hope they keep playing great.”
Ganguly had kind words for Mithun Manhas, the former Delhi cricketer who filed to run for BCCI president. “I congratulate him—it’s a huge role,” Ganguly noted. “The BCCI is the richest board with the best talent. Guiding Indian players is a big responsibility. I hope he does well with his team.”
Manhas stands alone as the candidate so far. The post opened up in August when Roger Binny left, and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has been filling in temporarily.
Ex-India spinner Raghuram Bhat could join the BCCI top team too, possibly as treasurer. He currently runs the Karnataka State Cricket Association.
Manhas, who turns 46 next month, knows cricket inside out. He helps oversee the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association as part of a BCCI sub-committee. Born in Jammu, he played for Delhi before switching to Jammu & Kashmir in 2015 and retiring in 2016. Since then, he’s coached for IPL teams like Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans, and even consulted for Bangladesh’s Under-19 side.
As a domestic star, Manhas racked up impressive stats: 9,714 runs in 157 first-class matches from 1997 to 2017, plus 4,126 in 130 List A games and 1,170 in 91 T20s. He’s one of India’s most reliable batters at that level.
His name popped up at an informal Delhi meeting on Saturday. Key players like ICC chairman Jay Shah, Rajeev Shukla, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, Delhi and Districts Cricket Association president Rohan Jaitley, and ex-board secretary Niranjan Shah were there.
The BCCI’s annual general meeting in Mumbai on September 28 will vote on office-bearers. If no new names come up, expect these picks to stick: Devajit Saikia stays as secretary, Shukla as vice-president, Prabhtej Bhatia moves to joint secretary (replacing Rohan Desai), and ex-Saurashtra captain Jaydev Shah joins the Apex Council. Mizoram’s Khairul Jamal Majumdar might shift to the IPL Governing Council.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
