The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has appointed former Indian cricket icon Roger Binny as its new president.
Binny was the clear favorite in the election, securing a dominant victory with 943 votes—over 90% of the total—while M.M. Harish trailed far behind with 111 votes. Having already spent five years as the KSCA's vice president from 2007 to 2012, Binny was already a well-respected and familiar face to the voters.
Reflecting on the result, Binny admitted that while he felt positive about his chances, the massive scale of the victory took him by surprise. Unlike the tension that marked the 2013 elections, this process was remarkably calm, with the opposing side accepting the outcome gracefully and without dispute.
Binny's credentials for the presidency are impressive. His sporting legacy includes being a key part of India's historic 1983 World Cup-winning squad. Throughout his professional career, he proved himself to be one of the elite players of his era, bringing a wealth of high-level experience to the administrative table.
Joining Binny in leadership are J. Abraham as vice president and Santosh Menon as secretary, both part of the faction supported by Brijesh Patel. This group saw significant success, claiming 16 positions in total: five official seats and 11 spots on the managing committee. Additionally, former umpire Shavir Tarapore was voted in as joint secretary.
These elections were held following a Supreme Court mandate requiring all state associations to complete their voting by October 4th. Binny isn't the first former player to lead the organization; Anil Kumble previously held the presidency back in 2010.
The trend of putting former athletes in charge is happening elsewhere too. For instance, Bengal re-elected Sourav Ganguly, and in Saurashtra, Jaydev Shah—son of administrator Niranjan Shah—was chosen as president of the local association.
Written by: Leon Osamor