Historic Moment: Mithun Manhas becomes first J&K cricketer to head BCCI
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By Shafat Malik
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28 Sep 2025
Srinagar, Sept 28: A fresh wave of optimism is sweeping through Jammu & Kashmir’s cricketing circles with the historic appointment of Mithun Manhas, a home-grown cricketer and former Ranji Trophy captain, as President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Manhas is the first person from J&K to hold the country’s top cricketing post.
At 45, Manhas is widely regarded as one of the region’s most accomplished cricketers. His elevation to the helm of Indian cricket administration is being hailed as a transformative moment for hundreds of aspiring players in the Union Territory, many of whom have long felt marginalised at the national level.
A prolific middle-order batsman, Manhas represented Jammu & Kashmir and later Delhi in domestic cricket, scoring over 9,500 first-class runs. He led J&K in Ranji Trophy campaigns in the late 1990s and early 2000s before moving to Delhi, where he played alongside national stars like Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag.
Manhas also featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for franchises including Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors India, and Chennai Super Kings, gaining valuable exposure to elite cricket administration and coaching.
Alongside his cricket career, Manhas joined the Jammu & Kashmir Police, serving in roles that connected him closely with the region’s youth. He later took on key administrative responsibilities within the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), playing an active role in scouting talent, coaching initiatives, and mentoring young players.
Post-retirement, Manhas served as assistant coach for India’s Under-19 and ‘A’ teams and was appointed batting consultant for several state sides, further strengthening his cricketing credentials.
His appointment as BCCI President has sparked widespread enthusiasm across club and district circuits, with coaches and selectors calling it “a long-overdue breakthrough.” For years, players from J&K have cited structural disadvantages, limited exposure, and underrepresentation in national selection committees.
“This is more than symbolism; it’s access,” a former JKCA player told
Rising Kashmir. “With someone who has worn the same colours and faced the same challenges now leading Indian cricket, players see a real doorway opening.”
Cricketers from Kupwara to Kathua and Poonch to Pulwama have expressed jubilation on social media, describing Manhas’s rise as “the closest J&K has come to the heartbeat of Indian cricket.”
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