The incumbent Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Ajinkya Naik is geared up to resume his second innings as the MCA president as he is set to be elected unopposed for the post on Wednesday (November 12).
There were seven other candidates in the fray for the key post, including former Indian women’s team captain Diana Edulji, politicians Jitendra Awhad, Prasad Lad and Milind Narvekar, as well as Suraj Samat, Vihang Sarnaik and Shahalam Shaikh. However, on the last day of the withdrawals of nominations on Monday, all of them withdrew their forms.
“My heart lies in maidan cricket — I will work for every player, every club, and for the bright future of Mumbai cricket,” Naik told mid-day on Monday.
Naik, who served MCA as a secretary between 2022 and 2024, became association’s youngest president at the age of 37, when he beat Sanjay Naik in July 2024 after the then president Amol Kale’s untimely death.
It is learnt that Naik got support from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, former MCA presidents Sharad Pawar and Ashish Shelar, and that paved the way for his second term in the president’s office.
Edulji, who was the only former India cricketer to file a nomination, told mid-day the reason behind her withdrawal. She said: “Let him [Naik] continue because he has done a good job in this one and a half year [as a MCA president] and it’s better if someone in the system gets a chance to continue for another three years.”
Now, there will be a direct contest between Awhad and Navin Shetty for the vice-president’s post, while former secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar and ex-joint secretary Shaikh will fight for the secretary’s post.