Roger Michael Humphrey Binny is a former Indian cricketer and cricket administrator who served as a member of the 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning Indian team. A right-arm medium-fast bowler and useful middle-order batsman, Binny is best remembered for finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the 1983 World Cup held in England. In October 2022, he was elected the 36th President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), succeeding Sourav Ganguly.
| Full name | Roger Michael Humphrey Binny |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 July 1955, Bangalore, Mysore State (present-day Karnataka), India |
| Role | All-rounder (right-arm medium-fast bowler, right-handed batsman) |
| Domestic team | Karnataka |
| Test debut | 21 November 1979 vs Pakistan, Bangalore |
| ODI debut | 15 December 1980 vs Australia |
| Notable achievement | Highest wicket-taker, 1983 Cricket World Cup (18 wickets) |
| Current role | President, Board of Control for Cricket in India (since October 2022) |
| Heritage | Anglo-Indian |
Binny was born in Bangalore into an Anglo-Indian family of Scottish descent. He was educated at Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School and later in Bangalore. Before turning to cricket professionally, he showed promise in athletics, reportedly setting a national junior record in javelin throw, which contributed to his bowling strength.
Binny represented Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and was part of the side that established itself as a force in Indian domestic cricket during the late 1970s and 1980s. In a 1977–78 Ranji Trophy match against Kerala, he and Sanjay Desai created a then world-record opening partnership of 451 runs, a feat that brought him into national contention.
Binny made his Test debut against Pakistan at Bangalore in November 1979. Over the course of his Test career, he played 27 matches, scoring centuries and contributing useful wickets as a swing bowler. He was a regular member of the Indian Test team during the early to mid-1980s.
Binny played 72 ODIs for India between 1980 and 1987. His most celebrated phase came during the 1983 Prudential World Cup in England, where he claimed 18 wickets, the highest for any bowler in the tournament. India, captained by Kapil Dev, defeated the West Indies in the final at Lord's on 25 June 1983 to win their first World Cup.
Binny was also part of the Indian squad that won the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985, another landmark limited-overs triumph under Sunil Gavaskar's captaincy.
After retirement, Binny worked extensively in cricket development. He coached the India Under-19 team, and was the coach when India reached the final of the 2000 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka. He later served as a member of the senior national selection committee, including the period during which his son Stuart Binny was selected for the Indian team — a circumstance that led him to recuse himself from selection discussions involving Stuart. Binny also held administrative roles in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).
On 18 October 2022, Roger Binny was elected unopposed as the President of the BCCI at the board's Annual General Meeting in Mumbai, taking over from Sourav Ganguly. He became the second former India cricketer, after Ganguly, to hold the post in the modern era and the first World Cup-winning player to lead the board. Jay Shah continued as Secretary at the time of Binny's election.
Binny is married to Cynthia Binny. Their son, Stuart Binny, also became an India international cricketer, playing Tests, ODIs and T20Is, and is known for one of the best ODI bowling figures by an Indian (6 for 4 against Bangladesh in 2014). Stuart is married to sports presenter Mayanti Langer.
Binny's contribution to Indian cricket lies in two distinct phases: as a key all-rounder during India's transformation into a competitive limited-overs side in the 1980s, and later as an administrator overseeing the world's wealthiest cricket board. His swing bowling on overcast English conditions in 1983 is widely cited as one of the under-appreciated factors in India's maiden World Cup triumph, alongside the contributions of Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal.