The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has appointed a new president on Tuesday (July 23). Ajinkya Naik, 37, won the election and will now take over the reins of the board. With his election, he becomes the youngest president of the Association.
Ajinkya Naik defeated Sanjay Naik in the elections to become the president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). He won the elections by 107 votes. He polled a total of 221 votes, while Sanjay Nail got 114 votes. Both the candidates were sitting office bearers of the Association.
Ajinkya Naik was the secretary of the association while Sanjay Naik, on the other hand, was the vice-president. With his triumph as MCA president, Ajinkya will join the galaxy of stalwarts like Sharad Pawar, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ashish Shelar and Manohar Joshi among others.
The elections for the post of Mumbai Cricket Association president were held following the untimely demise of President Amol Kale, who passed away due to cardiac arrest in New York after attending the 2024 T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
Speaking about his appointment as the president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, Ajinkya Naik said that Sharad Pawar was his inspiration, who later became the president of the BCCI and the ICC. He added, “Pawar sir has been an inspiration and a leader who later became the head of the BCCI and the ICC. There were many unseen powers and slowly you will get to know who they were. Our mentor is Sharad Pawar sir. We have been following him for a long time.”
Ajinkya Naik, speaking on his appointment as president, dedicated his victory to Amol Kale and thanked all the voters for supporting him. He said his efforts will be directed towards replicating what the late Kale did for the Mumbai Cricket Association. He explained:
“I thank all the voters who voted in my favour. The victory is a testament to Amol Kale’s exemplary achievement. My efforts will be directed towards replicating his commitment and dedication to improving the quality of Mumbai cricket and taking his legacy forward.”
I will request government organisations and companies to employ players from Mumbai – Ajinkya Naik
Ajinkya Naik also spoke about his aim after being appointed as the president of the Mumbai Cricket Association. He said that he would be interested in improving the Mumbai Maidans and would want to provide employment to Mumbai cricketers in both the public and private sectors. He added:
“Mumbai cricketers do not have permanent jobs, they are just temporary contracts. I will request government organisations and companies to hire players from Mumbai,” he concluded.
Mumbai cricket has been a force in the domestic circuit. Last year, it won the Ranji Trophy and claimed its 42nd title. Ajinkya Naik was a member of the Apex Council in 2019. In 2022, he was elected as the secretary of the MCA.
