Anurag Thakur © Getty Images
Anurag Thakur became the sixth-youngest BCCI president © Getty Images

Soon after Anurag Thakur was elected as the newest President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), reports started circulating that he was the youngest person to assume the role. However, that is factually incorrect; Fatehsinghrao Prataprao Gaekwad was the youngest BCCI President, having been elected in 1963 at the age of 33, followed by Raymond Eustace Grant Govan at 37. At 42, Thakur is the sixth-youngest person to assume the role. Thakur said at the press conference, “Where there is a challenge, there is an opportunity, it all depends on one’s perspective. I see an opportunity that this is the time to deliver. We are not running away from Lodha committee recommendations but we are in favour of using recommendations which are practical. We have already done reforms much before Lodha Committee recommendations. We understand our responsibility towards the most popular sport in the country.”

Hindustan Times reported that Ajay Shirke — who was rumoured to be one of the potential candidates for the job — had said, “When Jagmohan Dalmiya was in power, it was Thakur who took the important calls. With Manohar’s entry, it had left Thakur playing second fiddle. It would be safe to assume with Manohar’s departure, Thakur would want to wrest back his position of power. Shukla too has been given complete control of the IPL and enjoys a lot confidence among most members.”

HPCA press secretary Mohit Sood said of Thakur’s election, “It is a moment of great joy for the hilly state of Himachal which sees its youth icon in yet another role at the top level and has added another feather to his cap with his hard work and determination.”

Name Born Start End Age
Fatehsinghrao Prataprao Gaekwad 1930 1963 1966 33
Raymond Eustace Grant Govan 1891 1928 1933 37
Hajji Nawab Hafiz Hamidullah Khan 1894 1935 1937 41
Jam Saheb Sri Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja 1895 1937 1938 42
Muttaiya Annamalai Chidambaram 1918 1960 1963 42
Anurag Thakur 1974 2016 42
Sardar Surjit Singh Majithia 1912 1956 1958 44
Purshottam M Rungta 1928 1972 1975 44
Madhavrao Jivajirao Scindia 1945 1990 1993 45
Anthony Stanislaus de Mello 1900 1946 1951 46
Paramasivan Subbarayan 1889 1938 1946 49
Vijay Ananda Gajapathi Raju (Vizzy) 1905 1954 1956 49

Note 1: Date of birth is not available for JC Mukherji, RK Patel, AN Ghose, BN Dutt, and Inderjit Singh Bindra.

Note 2: Age is calculated as difference between year of assuming role and year of birth.