New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, Mithun Manhas, congratulated Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley as the Arun Jaitley Stadium achieved a significant milestone of hosting more than 300 first-class matches.

“I would like to congratulate Rohan Jaitley, who is the President of the DDCA, and his entire team. More than 300 first-class matches have been played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium — in fact, I believe today marks the 302nd match. This is a remarkable achievement, and in my opinion, truly commendable, especially considering the efforts he has made since the affiliation. Once again, I would like to thank him wholeheartedly for inviting me on this special occasion, and I extend my warmest congratulations to him once again,” Manhas said speaking to IANS.

Jaitley was recently appointed as the chair of the BCCI’s infrastructure committee after the board concluded its 94th Annual General Meeting in September. It was when Manhas was appointed president, succeeding Roger Binny in the role.

The Infrastructure Committee is now headed by Jaitley, with his team comprising Manhas, Shukla, Saikia, Prabhtej Bhatia, A. Raghuram Bhat, Anirudh Chaudhury, and Sana Sathish Babu. Former BCCI president Binny previously held the position.

Jaitley is now in charge of overseeing the country’s cricket grounds, focusing on building new ones and upgrading existing facilities where needed. In December last year, Jaitley was re-elected as the DDCA president, securing 1,577 votes against 777 for former India cricketer Kirti Azad.

Recently, Jaitley and Manhas met with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to outline a roadmap for developing world-class infrastructure and nurturing young talent in Jammu and Kashmir, as part of a major push to strengthen cricketing facilities in the region.

The BCCI delegation assured full support for upgrading the region’s cricketing ecosystem — including the establishment of modern training centres, better pitches, and advanced amenities at key venues such as Jammu and Srinagar.

Chief Minister Abdullah welcomed the initiative and stressed that sports development plays a vital role in youth engagement and social cohesion. He appreciated the BCCI’s commitment to empowering local players and expanding opportunities for aspiring cricketers from the Union Territory.

–IANS

vi/ab