BCCI president Mithun Manhas on Ro-Ko, Smriti-Harmanpreet dynamic and India’s 2027 World Cup plans

BCCI president Mithun Manhas discusses India’s World Cup plans, the future of senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and the transition in leadership in both the men’s and women’s teams.

The road to the 2027 ODI World Cup will require India to balance experience with the demands of a new generation. For BCCI president Mithun Manhas, the selection of senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should hinge on what they bring to the team, not how old they are.

In an interview with Sportstar, Manhas discusses the criteria for selection, the role senior players can play in easing the transition to younger leadership under Shubman Gill, and the growing demands of an increasingly packed international calendar.

With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, how should India balance experience and youth, particularly when it comes to senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma? Does the BCCI have a clear transition plan?

As far as the BCCI is concerned, we are not in a position to comment, as it all depends on the selectors and the coaches.

But, from my perspective, fitness and performance should be the criteria for selection, definitely not age. If someone is fit to play, performing well and winning games for the country, that should be the only criterion we focus on.

After the 2024 T20 World Cup, there was talk of a transition to younger players, but the direction still seems unclear. What is India’s selection roadmap for the 2027 ODI World Cup?

The first time you are picked for a team, you are picked on promise. When you make a comeback, it is on performance. As I said, there are only two criteria: fitness and performance.

With Shubman Gill set to lead India in the 2027 ODI World Cup, how crucial will the experience of senior players like Kohli and Rohit be to his leadership?

It will be extremely crucial. Shubman has been the captain of Gujarat Titans for two or three years now, apart from leading India. I think that experience will come in handy when he begins his World Cup campaign.

Having Virat, Hardik (Pandya) and Rohit in the side will definitely help him. Then there are the likes of (Jasprit) Bumrah, who could take charge as the bowling captain, while someone else could lead the fielding unit. So, it is all about distributing the workload.

It will be interesting to see how things unfold. But Shubman is a level-headed guy, and I think having the seniors around him will be an advantage.

You mentioned bowling and fielding leaders within the team. Will this help distribute responsibility and ease the pressure on a young captain?

Of course. That is how it is. Bumrah is a captain in himself. He has captained India and also stood in for Mumbai Indians at times, so he knows what he feels and what he wants.

He has captained India in Tests as well, so he can be the bowling captain of the side. All in all, even if Shubman is setting the field, he will need advice from the senior professionals. They can tell him, “Okay, listen, we are under pressure now. If the situation is like this, you know what we are going to do.”

This has to be done because they have experience. They have been under pressure and have delivered time and again in crunch situations. So, it is a good combination. At least, that is how I see it.

How would you assess Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector and the work of his committee? With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, does his departure come at the wrong time, given the need for continuity?

As far as Ajit’s tenure is concerned, I think he has done a fantastic job, overseeing the two World Cup (2024, 2026) victories and the Asia Cup (2025) triumph. It was his decision to move on. All in all, not just Ajit but all the selectors have done a fantastic job.

They have shared a good rapport with the coaches as well. That is how the system should operate. The coaches and selectors need to work together on these aspects, and they have delivered.

The Centre of Excellence has come under scrutiny over player injuries and fitness. With V.V.S. Laxman now set to join every selection meeting, what will his involvement bring to the selection process?

I think these are two separate questions. Let me address the first one first. Injuries are part and parcel of the game. The game has moved on, fitness is a key criterion, and players now play a lot more cricket than they used to. Injuries are bound to happen when you play at such intensity and pace. We should recognise that rather than assume that pushing yourself will inevitably lead to injury.

Coming to your second question, V.V.S. Laxman’s participation in selection committee discussions is crucial. He oversees the India A teams, and whenever multiple teams are touring simultaneously and Gambhir is busy, Laxman takes charge.

I think his opinion matters because, as head of the CoE, he has a clear understanding of a player’s fitness and overall development. His inputs would certainly help the selectors make informed decisions.

India won the T20 World Cup and followed it up with gold medals at the Asian Games. What does this success say about the depth of Indian cricket?

These are good signs. I think we also have good bench strength, with the domestic season currently underway, an international white-ball series against the West Indies and an India A series against Australia. All in all, having such depth is good for Indian cricket.

Moreover, both the men’s and women’s teams have won gold medals at the Asian Games. These are encouraging developments.

India now has a strong pool of players across formats. How important is this depth in managing injuries, overlapping assignments and the demands of the World Test Championship?

It is a good mix. With so many tournaments taking place and injuries being a concern, having bench strength helps us manage these challenges. It is good for Indian cricket to have so much competition. Competition pushes players to perform better.

Smriti Mandhana has taken over as India’s women’s captain. What went into the decision, and how important will Harmanpreet Kaur’s experience be in guiding her?

I have always believed that the baton should be passed on when a senior player is around to guide the next generation, because captaincy is not easy, no matter how experienced you are.

In men’s cricket, it started with Sourav Ganguly stepping down and M.S. Dhoni taking over. Ganguly remained around for some time to guide him. Later, Dhoni was there when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma took charge. The same is the case now with Shubman Gill. This gradual transition has helped Indian cricket in a big way.

The same applies to women’s cricket. I think Harmanpreet’s experience will be invaluable in guiding Smriti as captain.

There will be situations when a captain has to make decisions but is unsure of the right course of action. In such moments, Harmanpreet will be an asset to Smriti.

Pay parity marked a significant step for women’s cricket. What impact has it had on the game?

I think it all started with the current ICC chair, Mr Jay Shah, who was the BCCI secretary at the time. It was his initiative to introduce pay parity and ensure that women’s cricket was treated on a par with men’s cricket.

You can see the impact at the international level as well. More teams are competing, and the player pool has expanded. I think this is a positive development for international cricket, particularly women’s cricket.

The BCCI has urged senior players to turn out for domestic cricket whenever available. How important is this for match fitness and for younger players to learn from them? Will the policy be enforced more firmly?

We have always maintained, and even the coach and the selectors feel, that if players are free, they should play domestic games. It is very important to remain in form. If you are playing a First-Class game, obviously there will be youngsters who will benefit from your experience. That is important for Indian cricket as well.

With an increasingly packed international calendar, how is the BCCI balancing international cricket and the IPL with players’ recovery and workload management? Is a revision of the Future Tours Programme on the table?

We are planning. A lot of factors will be taken into consideration. That is why we now have a pool of players, and you can see a lot of players coming in and playing for the teams. We are working around the things that we want to do, and it will come out in the near future.

Will the BCCI consider longer gaps between tours to allow players more time to recover?

It all depends on the individual. Fitness requirements vary from player to player. Fast bowlers put their bodies under greater strain than batters, while wicketkeepers have their own demands. Every individual is different, so we have to assess how each player feels and then chalk out a plan. Based on that, we decide the schedule.

With several IPL franchises investing in overseas leagues, is the BCCI considering allowing Indian players to participate in those competitions, or will the current restrictions continue?

As of now, the rules remain the same. We haven’t had any discussions around that topic.

The Ranji Trophy remains the backbone of Indian domestic cricket. Does it need changes to make the tournament more competitive?

I think the Ranji Trophy has its own sanctity. It has been played for many years. I think it all started in 1934, and I don’t see any change happening. With white-ball cricket, we keep making changes, but the ultimate test for a cricketer is Test cricket. That is what you enjoy. So, I think if it is kept that way, it will be fine.

Does the BCCI plan to make the Ranji Trophy more financially rewarding for players, particularly those from teams outside the top tier?

If you see how things used to be when I played, we didn’t even have clothes provided. We used to buy our own clothes and play, and we used to travel by trains, buses and things like that.

Everything has risen exponentially, whether in terms of finances, professionalism, travel or accommodation. So, I think things are on the right track. In the coming future, things will keep happening. We will keep changing and improving.

The BCCI’s constitution mandates that the CAC select only the senior men’s selectors. This time, however, the CAC has also been tasked with interviewing candidates for the junior selection panel. Why the change?

The process has to be followed. We wanted to maintain uniformity in the selection process, and that is why the CAC was involved. It is important to ensure continuity and that the process is carried out properly.

Retired scorers have been seeking financial assistance from the BCCI. What progress has been made on a proposed pension policy?

We are trying to sort that out. When the pension scheme was introduced, it was the BCCI that took the initiative. Now, with so much money coming in, I think it is the prerogative of the State associations to take it forward. We are in discussions with the associations and will soon finalise a policy under which everyone who has contributed to Indian cricket should be considered.

Will State associations be expected to take greater financial responsibility for retired scorers?

Earlier, there wasn’t any money, but now there is a lot of money with the State associations. So, we are planning and thinking about the terms on which we should do it, the criteria for consideration, the payment structure and everything. Let’s see how it pans out.

The IPL auction is returning to India after being held overseas in recent years. Was the decision driven primarily by cost considerations?

Organising it in India was much cheaper, and there were financial constraints as well. The idea was to save money and reinvest it in the game. That was the primary consideration behind bringing it back to India.

The BCCI turns 100 in 2028, while the IPL marks 20 years this year. How does the BCCI plan to celebrate these milestones?

We will have an IPL meeting soon regarding that. As far as the BCCI’s 100th year is concerned, I think the celebrations will keep happening throughout the year. We have grand plans for that. Indian cricket has come a long way from where we started. Look where we have reached. I think it deserves recognition, applause, and we will make sure that everything is done for Indian cricket.

Published on Oct 21, 2026

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