The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Sanjog Gupta as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Geoff Allardice, who stepped down after a tenure marked by efforts to expand the global reach of cricket.
Gupta, a prominent figure in sports broadcasting and digital strategy, joins the ICC from JioStar, where he served as CEO – Sports. His appointment comes at a crucial moment for the sport’s governing body, as it aims to push cricket into new markets and strengthen its commercial presence in an evolving media environment.
“I am pleased to announce that Sanjog Gupta has been appointed as the CEO of the ICC,” said ICC Chairman Jay Shah. “Sanjog brings extensive experience in sports strategy and commercialisation, which will be invaluable for the ICC. Our goal is to move beyond traditional boundaries and establish cricket as a regular sport in the Olympics, growing its expanse across the world and deepening its roots in its core markets.”
“We considered several exceptional candidates for this position, but the Nominations Committee unanimously recommended Sanjog. The ICC Board Directors look forward to working closely with him, and I would like to welcome him on behalf of everyone at the ICC,” he added.
The appointment follows a global recruitment process launched in March that drew over 2,500 applications from 25 countries. Candidates included executives from sports governing bodies and senior leaders from other industries. After a thorough evaluation by the ICC’s HR & Remuneration Committee, 12 shortlisted candidates were reviewed by a Nominations Committee comprising ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khwaja, ECB Chair Richard Thompson, SLC President Shammi Silva, and BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia. Gupta was unanimously recommended and later approved by the full ICC Board.
Gupta’s career has been deeply rooted in sports media. He began at Disney Star in 2009 as a content producer and rose to become Head of Sports, playing a key role in shaping IPL broadcasts and expanding digital coverage. He also held several senior leadership roles at Star Sports between 2015 and 2020, leading content and strategy during a period of explosive growth in Indian sports viewership. In 2020, he became Head of Sports for Star TV Network and was most recently CEO – Sports at the Reliance-Disney joint venture.
Geoff Allardice, who joined the ICC in 2012 and became CEO in 2021, said, “It has been a privilege to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council. I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved… I believe this is the right time for me to step down and pursue new challenges.”