Will Jay Shah be the next BCCI president?

Is 33-year old Jay Shah all set to become the youngest Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president? On Wednesday, after the Supreme Court accepted a plea the board to amend its constitution – allowing Sourav Ganguly (current president) and Shah (secretary) to continue for one more term – as many as 15 state associations have backed Shah for the BCCI’s top post.
The BCCI is soon going to call its annual general body meeting and notices will be issued to state associations for fresh elections after the Supreme Court decided to amend the board’s constitution. The current BCCI office-bearers will complete their three-year term in September and a fresh election will be called thereafter.
The Indian Express spoke to 15 state associations and all of them backed Shah to be in the driver’s seat at the BCCI. Many members felt that the Indian Premier League could take place during the Covid-19 pandemic only due to Shah’s efforts; the IPL media rights went on to fetch a whopping Rs 48,390 crore, which has increased the board’s coffers drastically.
“It’s high time Shah takes charge of the Indian board, and all associations are ready to back him,” a key member of a state association said.
Ganguly and Shah are part of the new BCCI regime that took over in October 2019 after the Lodha Committee recommendations. In December 2019, the BCCI AGM proposed to alter its constitution and approach the court for further direction. The BCCI wanted the Supreme Court to modify the cooling-off period clause; it wanted the cooling-off period to apply only after a six-year tenure exclusively at a state association or the BCCI, and not after successive three-year terms, one each at state level and BCCI.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court decided to amend the cooling-off period accordingly. A six-year term at a state association will now not preclude an individual from serving another six-year term in the BCCI without a cooling-off period. The Supreme Court order has paved the way for Ganguly and Shah to continue in the BCCI till 2025.