Ashish Shelar steps down as BCCI treasurer after taking Cabinet Minister oath in Maharashtra

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will soon be in search of a new treasurer, as Ashish Shelar, who had held the position since October 2022, stepped down after being sworn in as a cabinet minister in the newly-formed Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government, PTI reported.

Shelar, who won the Vandre West seat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections last month, took the oath of office on Sunday in Nagpur.

Shelar’s appointment as the BCCI treasurer came after the Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that ministers and public servants were not allowed to hold positions in the cricket board, in line with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.

However, in a significant shift in September 2022, the court allowed the BCCI to amend its constitution, enabling elected officials and legislators to hold office-bearer roles. This change allowed Shelar to step into the role of treasurer.

Shelar’s resignation follows that of Jay Shah, the former BCCI secretary, who assumed the role of chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier this month. Shah officially began his tenure at the ICC on December 1, with BCCI president Roger Binny appointing joint secretary Devajit Saikia as the interim secretary. Saikia, who took on the role on December 9, is expected to serve as interim secretary until at least September 2025, pending a permanent appointment.