Anurag Thakur replaces Rijiju as new Sports Minister just 16 days before Olympics

The 46-year-old former Cricket Board President was given charge of sports along with the Information and Broadcasting ministry after he took oath as a cabinet minister.Thakur was the president of the BCCI between May 2016 and February 2017.

Anurag Thakur on Wednesday replaced Kiren Rijiju as the country's sports minister with just over two weeks left for the Tokyo Olympics. The 46-year-old former Cricket Board President was given charge of sports along with the Information and Broadcasting ministry after he took oath as a cabinet minister.

Thakur was the president of the BCCI between May 2016 and February 2017. Before that, he was the secretary of the Board and also headed the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

A Member of Parliament from HP's Hamirpur constituency, Thakur was serving as the minister of state for finance and corporate affairs under Nirmala Sitharaman before wednesday's cabinet reshuffle.

His brother Arun Dhumal is currently the treasurer of the BCCI.