Mahanaryaman Scindia elected MPCA president, youngest to hold post; cricketers sidelined in leadership | Indore News
INDORE: Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) on Sunday announced a unanimous verdict in its elections, paving the way for 29-year-old Mahanaryaman Scindia to take charge as the youngest-ever president of the state body. The development comes at a crucial moment, with Indore set to host ICC Women’s World Cup matches for the first time in October.The electoral officer on Sunday evening declared the panel unopposed after former BCCI-accredited umpire Amardeep Pathania withdrew his nomination for the post of joint secretary, along with the Indore Colts-Pathania’s own club-pulling out its nomination for the managing committee club representative position. With these withdrawals, the number of valid nominations matched the number of available posts, eliminating the need for polling.This marks the second consecutive unanimous election for MPCA, following the 2022 polls when the 2019 panel of office bearers was re-elected without opposition.Scindia, son of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and chairman of the MP League Scindia Cup, the state’s only recognised cricket league, will now lead the association, marking a generational shift in MP cricket administration. Alongside him, five office bearers, 16 managing committee members, and three cricket committee members were also chosen unopposed.Outgoing president Abhilash Khandekar welcomed the consensus, calling it a positive sign for the association’s future. “One nomination of Amardeep Pathania for joint secretary has been withdrawn and another of a club representative in the managing committee has also been withdrawn. Thus, the elections are unopposed and unanimously the panel has been elected. As the World Cup is coming to Indore for the first time, I expect the new team of office bearers and committee members will organise the event in the best possible manner, further strengthening MPCA,” he said.Alongside Scindia, the other office bearers elected unopposed include former international umpire Sudhir Asnani as secretary, former India cricketer Arundhati Kirkire as joint secretary, Vineet Sethia as vice-president, and Sanjeev Dua, son of former India cricketer Narendar Dua, as treasurer.MPCA CAO Rohit Pandit said, “The number of valid nominations were equal to the number of posts by the end of the day following two withdrawals of nominations. Thus, the electoral officer has officially put up the list of unopposed candidates today. So five office bearers, 16 managing committee members, and three cricket committee members have been chosen unopposed.” The 16-member managing committee features well-known names such as former internal cricketer Sandhya Agarwal, Rajiv Risodkar, Prasoon Kanmadikar, and Vijesh Rana, among others, while the three-member cricket committee has also been chosen unanimously. Now the electoral officer will present his report during the Annual General Meeting of MPCA on September 2 at the Holkar Stadium.
Only one cricketer in MPCA’s new leadership team
The newly elected MPCA office bearers highlight a recurring trend in cricket governance: administrators outweighing cricketers. Among the five office bearers, only former India player Arundhati Kirkire brings top-level cricketing experience to the table. President Mahanaryaman Scindia, though the youngest in MPCA history, has primarily been involved in administrative and organisational roles. The rest of the panel comprises umpires, businessmen, and administrators. While this composition may ensure strong administration, many in cricketing circles feel the absence of more ex-players could limit players’ perspectives in decision-making.
