Sourav Ganguly set to be the new BCCI President
By Bhartendu Sharma Published on 14 Oct 2019 9:04 AM GMT
Kolkata: In a dramatic turn of events, former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly is set to be the next president of The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Backed by two factions, the names of Brijesh Patel and Sourav Ganguly were doing the rounds. But, Ganguly is set to pip Patel for the BCCI's top post.
As per the new rules, the 47-year-old, who is currently heading the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), will have to resign from his post in September 2020 to undergo a mandatory cooling off period.
Karnataka's Brijesh Paatel was the running favourite for the president's post with former BCCI president and heavyweight N. Srinivasan actively lobbying for him. However, there was a stiff resistance against him while 'Dada' got a 'unanimous' nod.
On this occasion, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee congratulated Sourav on being elected as the new BCCI President. She tweeted:
Heartiest congratulations to @SGanguly99 for being unanimously elected @BCCI President. Wish you all the best for your term. You have made India and #Bangla proud. We were proud of your tenure as CAB President. Looking forward to a great new innings.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) October 14, 2019
Meanwhile Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah, will be the secretary, while Anurag Thakur's brother Arun Dhumal is set to become the treasurer of the BCCI. Brijesh is likely to be the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
According to reports, Ganguly said that during his short tenure at the helm of the BCCI, his focus and first priority will be to ‘improve the first-class cricket and the financial health of cricketers.”
Just when the news of Ganguly's dramatic return to the BCCI's top post was out, fans went crazy and expressed their happiness on social media. Some of the tweets are:
Legendary cricketer,prince of Kolkata became new prince of #BCCI. Congratulations #sauravganguly .Best of luck for new inning. #BCCIPresident #bccielections
— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) October 14, 2019
That even speculation about #SouravGanguly becoming President of #BCCIPresident is creating an euphoria - isn't just a reflection of @SGanguly99's popularity but the overwhelming desire of Indian #Cricket Fans to get #BCCI out of the clutches of politicians and businessmen.
— GhoseSpot (@SandipGhose) October 14, 2019
