According to a story from The Telegraph online, Rajeev Shukla‘s status as BCCI vice-president is seriously in jeopardy because he will be 70 in July 2027, which puts him in clear violation of the board’s constitutional age disqualification provision. Ahead of the BCCI annual general meeting, which is set for September 18, 2026, in Mumbai, the uncertainty has been more apparent.
In accordance with the board’s new structure, he was chosen unopposed as BCCI vice-president on December 18, 2020, and he will soon serve six years in that capacity. A further layer of uncertainty surrounding his continued tenure is created by the constitution’s requirement that he enter a three-year cooling-off period in December 2026.
The draft electoral roll ahead of the annual general meeting on September 18 does not include Rajeev Shukla. In accordance with Rule 28 of the constitution, electoral officer AK Joti has announced elections for two IPL governing council positions; however, no announcement has been made regarding the BCCI vice-president position. Different interpretations of how his tenure would be handled are circulating in Board circles, and no formal clarification has surfaced.
What is the age limit specified in the BCCI constitution?
The age requirements for office bearers are clearly stated in the BCCI constitution. The disqualification standards are explicitly stated in Rule 6(5)(b) of the constitution, and other senior officials have already been subject to the 70-year barrier in recent years.
According to Rule 6(5)(b), “a person shall be disqualified from being an office bearer, a member of the apex council, governing council or any committee of the BCCI if he or she has attained the age of 70 years.”
There is precedent for the regulation. Before turning 70 in November 2022, Brijesh Patel was forced to resign as IPL chairman in September of the same year. More recently, Rajeev Shukla served as the BCCI’s acting president for about two months following Roger Binny’s 70th birthday in July 2025. Both instances attest to the board’s persistent enforcement of the age cap as it became due.
What will happen to Rajeev Shukla and the position of vice president?
It’s unclear if the BCCI will permit Shukla to stay in his position until July 2027, when he truly turns 70, or act sooner. There are conflicting reports in Board circles, and no formal stance on the issue has been made public. Rajeev Shukla enthusiasm for and commitment to Indian cricket must be acknowledged, though.
The uncertainty is increased by the lack of an election announcement for the vice-president position prior to the September 18 annual general meeting. Whether the board plans to discuss the vacancy at this meeting or postpone it until a later time is unclear. The BCCI has not verified any transition’s precise time or methodology.
