DNA has reliably learnt that a broad understanding has already been reached amongst old guards to instal a consensus candidate on to the top post.
With most of the state cricket associations through with their elections, handing over power to kith and kin of all those disqualified former office-bearers, all eyes are now on the composition of the next set of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official bearers after the October 23 Annual General Meeting in Mumbai.
Going by the names that have been sent to Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA), there is no second thought that the most expensive legal battle to clean up the richest sports federation in India has gone futile. Can anyone deny N Srinivasan, who controls a majority of the stake in BCCI, to not make a comeback into the cricketing affairs through his daughter?
Or who can stop another former Board president Anurag Thakur or secretary Niranjan Shah, being thrown out by apex court for not implementing the orders in 2017, from calling shots in future BCCI meetings through his younger brother and son, respectively?
Going by what's happening in the cricket corridors, there is no way to stop these old guns from ruling the cash-rich association through proxies. Vinod Rai-led COA is set to walk into the sunset without getting a pat on its shoulders for a job well done if all the plans of those old guards see light of the day.
DNA has reliably learnt that a broad understanding has already been reached amongst old guards to instal a consensus candidate on to the top post. And don't be surprised to see Rupa Gurunath, the wife of disgraced Gurunath Meiyappan banned from all cricket activities for life for his alleged role in Indian Premier League spot-fixing, taking over this coveted seat on October 23.
Credit must go to Srinivasan camp for holding on to its core group of 15-plus votes despite all efforts by COA's chief to create panic in the minds of some members by wrongfully interpreting the SC's final orders related to age and tenure. Now armed with fresh directive passed by apex court, the group has managed to strike back by installing not just Rupa but also Niranjan Shah's son Jaydev Shah in Saurashtra or Chirayu Amin's son Pranav in Baroda amongst other remote-controlled bodies in many other states.
This new development has come at a time when Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president and TV company owner Rajat Sharma's name was openly floating around as the next top boss of BCCI. But his inability to even control his own state association, where secretary Vinod Tihara is making his life miserable and has succeeded in roping in a large number of directors against Sharma on the grounds that he is unable to devote any time for cricket activities due to his busy media schedule, has cast a shadow on his own future.
There is no second thought that Sharma rode on Tihara's shoulder to sweep Delhi elections last year. But by suspending Tihara arbitrarily for having difference of opinion has not gone down well with a majority of DDCA voters who are hell bent to strike a compromise with any powerful camp in BCCI elections to keep Sharma out.
That's why Tihara's name is doing the rounds for joint secretary's post, but along with a few other names. Sharma has, anyway, failed to convene the DDCA SGM/ AGM as was mandated to finalise the nomination for BCCI AGM, Tihara has reached out to COA against this open defiance.
Now comes the most important post of secretary and there looks no answer to former India player and former KSCA secretary Brijesh Patel. Having served Karnataka Cricket Association for many terms and being seen as Srinivasan's trusted man, Patel rightly served the cooling off period during the time when battle was fought inside the SC.
In order to secure absolute majority in BCCI elections, it was important to rope in the second most powerful group of another former president Sharad Pawar into confidence. And that's why his trusted Ravi Sawant is tipped for powerful treasurer post.
That leaves Srinivasan-Pawar group to decide on just one post, that of vice-president.
Going by speculations, this has been deliberately done in order to accommodate Jay Shah of Gujarat. But not without the permission and blessings of India's ruling party chief Amit Shah, and that too if he chooses to get into cricket matters.
"Shah (Junior) could well be groomed as BCCI's next chief," say many in state associations.
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 "Rupa Gurunath, Brijesh Patel")
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