Sourav Ganguly set to become new BCCI president after emerging as consensus candidate: Report

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has emerged as consensus candidate for the post of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President, reports said on Sunday. 

Earlier, Brijesh Patel, who played 21 test matches for India from 1974 to 1977, had appeared as the top contender for the post, PTI reported. Brijesh was backed by Tail Nadu strongman N Srinivasan.

PTI reported that Ganguly, currently the president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), was finally accepted as a unanimous candidate. Earlier, his decision to stay non-committal on campaigning for the BJP in the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections had gotten in the way of him emerging as the consensus candidate for the top post. 

While Monday is the last day to file nomination, no election will be held if a candidate is chosen by consensus.

Besides Ganguly as the BCCI president, Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah will be the new secretary and Arun Dhumal, brother of MoS Finance Anurag Thakur, will be the new treasurer.

Anurag and Arun are sons of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. 

Former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad pipped Kirti Azad to be the male representative of the Indian Cricketers' Association (ICA) to the Apex Council of the BCCI.

With the election of new BCCI office-bearers, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA)'s 33-month term will come to an end.