Rajeev Shukla Set to Become Acting BCCI President

Rajeev Shukla, the present Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, is likely to be the acting President of BCCI when the term of Roger Binny ends. Sources indicate that Shukla will begin as acting President from July and will be acting President for three months. In September he will attend the Annual General Meeting where he may also contest the election for the full-time office of BCCI President. Shukla is a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament belonging to the Congress party and is the former chairman of the Indian Premier League, which has emerged as one of the largest cricket leagues in the world.

Roger Binny became the BCCI President in 2022. He was unopposed when he was elected because he was the sole person to submit a nomination. Binny a member of India's 1983 World Cup winning side introduced numerous positive reforms into Indian cricket during his presidency. India captured two big titles the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 while he was President. He also strove to develop and support Indian cricket at home by providing more incentives and compensation to the players and inviting senior players to participate in domestic tournaments. His interest was in developing domestic cricket more so that more skills would emerge and shine.

Roger Binny is famous for his quality as a bowling all-rounder. He played 27 Tests and 72 One Day Internationals for India. In Tests he scored 830 runs with five half-centuries and 47 wickets. In One Day Internationals, he scored 629 runs with one half-century and 77 wickets. Binny was instrumental in India's very first World Cup win in 1983. He was the top wicket-taker for India during that World Cup with 18 wickets. Binny did not leave cricket after he retired from playing. He was also a member of the BCCI selection panel at some time. Before becoming the President of BCCI he was also the President of Karnataka State Cricket Association.

Roger Binny has contributed immensely to Indian cricket. After his playing days he became a coach and assisted in moulding the future of Indian cricket. He was the coach of the India Under-19 team that defeated the ICC World Cup for the Under-19 category in 2000. His experience and expertise have always been rated as a big plus point for Indian cricket.

Now Rajeev Shukla is most likely to assume the role of acting President of the BCCI. He has already demonstrated his competency in cricket administration by heading the IPL, which expanded dramatically and became a platform for young Indian heroes. His cricket acumen and experience of handling big organizations are likely to come in handy in this new role. In the past C K Khanna had also served as the acting President of the BCCI from 2017 to 2019 during the time when the Supreme Court had set up the Committee of Administrators to look after BCCI’s affairs for 33 months.

It is a heavy responsibility for Rajeev Shukla as he becomes acting President. He will have to consider many things in order to ensure Indian cricket keeps prospering. The emphasis will lie in maintaining the good work and nurturing international as well as domestic cricket. Shukla has proven that he has been able to handle cricket affairs well while working with the IPL and it will serve him well in his new role.

As acting President he will need to make sure that domestic cricket remains strong since it forms the foundation of Indian cricket. This was one of the top agendas during Binny's tenure. Shukla will have to continue this by ensuring domestic players have the support they require and ensuring they have good facilities. Domestic cricket is essential since it aids in India discovering new talented players to play for the national team.

Rajeev Shukla's new position as acting President will also be accompanied by the responsibility of maintaining the good reputation of Indian cricket. Indian cricket is not merely about winning and losing matches and acquiring trophies but also about playing the game and about player conduct on and off the field. Shukla will ensure that everything is conducted in an honest and fair manner.

It will also be interesting to note how Rajeev Shukla gears up for the elections in September. The elections will determine who the full-time President of BCCI will be. Shukla has plenty of experience and has been in cricket administration for a long time. This can be beneficial for him if he chooses to run for the top job.

In Indian cricket the President of BCCI holds a lot of authority and responsibility. The President has to take decisions which will have an impact on Indian cricket for years to come. It is not a job for the faint-hearted because there are always new issues coming up. But with a person like Rajeev Shukla who is experienced in managing big events and people the BCCI will be able to perform better.

The last couple of years have been extremely successful for Indian cricket. The victories in the ICC T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy have made the fans extremely delighted. Roger Binny's efforts have been significant to attain these victories. Now the expectation is that Rajeev Shukla will continue this good work and promote Indian cricket further.

As supporters we will closely observe how this transition influences Indian cricket. The acting President's tenure is brief but very significant because it maintains the board operating smoothly until a full-time President is appointed. Rajeev Shukla stands with a huge opportunity to demonstrate that he has the capability of leading Indian cricket positively.

Indian cricket has always been blessed with solid leadership that has developed it. From the likes of Kapil Dev and Roger Binny to administrators such as Sourav Ganguly and currently Rajeev Shukla each of them has contributed towards improving cricket. With Rajeev Shukla set to take over shortly fans are optimistic that the team and the board will continue to progress.