Reports: Anurag Thakur is set to become the BCCI Chief

According to reports, current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Anurag Thakur could replace Shashank Manohar as the BCCI President after the latter tendered his resignation yesterday. Speculation is rife that Thakur is set to take over for the remainder of Manohar’s tenure, until September 2017.

The reports also mentioned about a senior official from one of the East Zone associations saying, "There is no other strong candidate to run the BCCI.” As per the rules of the BCCI, a Special General Meeting (SGM) has to be convened within 15 days to apprising the members of the current predicament.

As the current Secretary of the BCCI, the onus lies on Anurag Thakur to call the SGM.

Also in the running for the post are IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla and the head of the Maharashtra Cricket Association Ajay Shirke. However, if sources are to be believed, Thakur is the favourite to take over from Shashank Manohar.

The news of Manohar’s resignation started doing the rounds a few days back when the ICC announced that candidates for the post of the ICC Chairman had to be independent of its Full Member boards.

Manohar, who is the frontrunner to become ICC's first ever independent chairman in May 2016, decided to relinquish his post as the chief of the apex body. If elected as the ICC's first ever independent chairman, Manohar will be eligible to hold the coveted post till 2021.

Earlier one close confidante of Manohar said, “ In the present scenario, he (Shashank Manohar) knows he can't do much in the BCCI with the way the Supreme Court is viewing things.”

The source also added, “The ICC post gives him a stable five-year window and an opportunity to make history as possibly the administrator who brought all countries (member boards of the ICC) together, and struck off the so-called monopoly of the Big Three. Look how the West Indies and Pakistan boards have already started praising him for what he's done.”

According to other reports, some members of the Manohar’s rival camp termed his decision as “premeditated and selfish”. They also said, “This was the clear the day they decided amongst themselves to change things and planned to reduce India's share [of the ICC revenues]. It was clear he was angling for this [ICC chairmanship].”

However, Retired Justice Mukul Mudgal, who had also headed the probe committee that investigated the IPL betting scandal in 2013, supported Manohar’s decision by saying the cricket board was served by an "honest" president and praised his decision too.

He said, "I think it is a personal decision made by Manohar. Although I have not thoroughly studied the Lodha recommendation, I don't think Manohar was in conflict with any of the suggestions made by the panel. I am not privy to his decision but he might be looking at a more permanent post of ICC chairman."

Mudgal also added, "I can't think of a better person to represent India at the ICC. It is a great honour and he's the ideal man for the job."

As one of the top-notch posts in the Indian cricket is up for grabs, the speculation surrounding it is definitely going to top the headlines for the next few days.