At the age of 35, Shah was elected unopposed as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), making him the youngest person ever to hold this position.
Those familiar with his work as BCCI secretary attest to his ability to forge personal connections with players.
Shah’s formal entry into cricket administration was in 2009 when he started working at the district level with the Central Board of Cricket Ahmedabad (CBCA), reported PTI.
He later progressed to state-level administration as an executive with the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) and eventually became its joint secretary in 2013.
During his tenure at GCA, Shah is recognized for establishing a structured age group coaching system that ensured players were well-prepared for senior cricket by the time they reached the Ranji level. This approach yielded results, as evidenced by Gujarat’s Ranji Trophy victory in 2016-17.
Equation with Players
Shah has managed to establish a strong rapport with players across different levels of the Indian cricket team. Unlike his predecessors, who sought opinions from trusted senior players before heading to the ICC, Shah has a unique equation with anyone who wants to be heard, including skipper Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli, bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and next-in-line players like Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya.
Rohit even described Shah as one of the “three pillars” that made the T20 World Cup triumph possible in the West Indies earlier this year.
Shah has successfully navigated through challenging times, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
He oversaw the creation of bio bubbles during the IPL, handled positive cases by creating medical teams within those bubbles, and ensured the completion of tournaments. However, his biggest achievement would be the launch of the Women Premier League (WPL), which offers the best pay package for women’s T20 games in the market and sets him apart from his predecessors who never realized the potential of the women’s game.
Shah’s decision to ensure parity by offering equal match fees to the Indian women’s cricket team and incentivizing Test cricket with a 10-Test season this year demonstrates his commitment to walking the talk.
He also showed that he does not believe in a one-size-fits-all policy by giving deserving breaks to players like Rohit, Kohli, and Bumrah when sought by them. Under his watch, no deserving India cricketer could claim that they were overlooked despite good performances.
Shah’s tenure has also seen the completion of the new NCA (National Cricket Academy), a Centre of Excellence with the capability of holding multiple first-class games at one venue during the domestic season.
His bold calls, such as allowing chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar a free hand on matters like Kishan and Iyer’s contracts and the elevation of Suryakumar Yadav as captain of the T20 team, showcase his leadership and vision for Indian cricket.