Rajeev Shukla, the veteran cricket administrator and current vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is expected to step in as interim president of the board, replacing Roger Binny, whose tenure is nearing a mandated conclusion due to BCCI’s age-cap regulation.
According to multiple reports, Binny — who turns 70 in July 2025 — will be required to step down as BCCI president under the board’s constitution, which states: “A person shall be disqualified from being an office bearer, a member of the Apex Council, Governing Council or any committee of the BCCI if he or she has attained the age of 70.”
The move is procedural, not political. As per the board’s rules, when the president is unavailable or vacates office, “The Vice President shall officiate in the President’s absence when the President is unavailable.” With Binny crossing the age threshold in mid-July 2025, the rule ensures Shukla will take charge as acting president.
Shukla’s interim role could extend past elections
While Shukla’s role is described as interim, his tenure could stretch beyond three months if he is formally elected during the next BCCI elections scheduled for September 2025. The interim period will still place him in a powerful administrative role, responsible for chairing meetings of both the General Body and Apex Council, and being one of three signatories to the BCCI’s audited financial statements.
Leadership change mirrors prior transitions
This would mark the second consecutive time a high-profile exit at the BCCI led to an interim promotion. When Jay Shah temporarily stepped away from his secretary role after being named ICC chairman, joint secretary Devajit Saikia served as interim secretary before being officially elected. A similar pattern is now expected to unfold with Shukla.
Binny himself took over from Sourav Ganguly in 2022 and has largely maintained a low-profile presidency, even as BCCI’s influence continues to grow globally. His exit is not performance-related but dictated entirely by governance rules.
A seasoned cricket administrator returns to the top
Shukla is no stranger to the corridors of cricket power. A former journalist turned seasoned politician, he has been part of BCCI’s leadership for over a decade. He served as IPL Chairman between 2011 and 2018 and was elected unopposed as BCCI Vice President in 2020, retaining the position in the 2022 elections. Prior to that, he was the secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association until 2017.
As interim president, Shukla’s experience, political acumen, and deep ties within the cricketing establishment are expected to ensure a smooth leadership transition ahead of the September elections.
What’s next for BCCI?
With the age-cap rule now triggering another top-level shift, attention will turn to how the board navigates the upcoming electoral process. Whether Shukla remains in charge after September will depend on how internal dynamics unfold—but for now, the succession plan is clear, and constitutionally sound.
