Who was the first president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)?

Introduction / Context:
The Board of Control for Cricket in India, commonly known as BCCI, is one of the most powerful cricket boards in the world. Questions about its formation and early office bearers are an important part of sports and organisational GK. This question asks you to identify the first president of the BCCI.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The organisation is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• We need the name of its first president.
• Four historically relevant names are provided as options.
• We assume the question uses the widely accepted historical fact about the first BCCI president.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall basic facts about the origin and early leadership of the BCCI. R. E. Grant Govan, an English businessman based in India, became the founding president of the BCCI when it was formed in the early twentieth century. This name appears repeatedly in sports administration history and is the key to answering this question correctly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the question and note that it is about the first president, not a later office bearer. Step 2: Recall that R. E. Grant Govan is commonly named as the founding president of BCCI. Step 3: Look at the four options and confirm that R. E. Grant Govan appears among them. Step 4: Recognise that other options are important personalities but did not serve as the first president. Step 5: Choose R. E. Grant Govan as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by consulting historical notes on Indian cricket administration or official timelines of the BCCI. These sources mention R. E. Grant Govan as the first president. Sports history and GK books that discuss BCCI origins also highlight his role during the founding period.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Dr Maharajkumar Sir Vijaya Ananda: A royal figure associated with cricket but not the first BCCI president in standard records.
Sikandar Hyat Khan: A political leader, not typically listed as the founding president of BCCI in sports administration history.
Anthony S. D'Mello: Known in cricket administration history but not identified as the first BCCI president in exam related material.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes guess a royal sounding or more Indian name, assuming that the first president had to be a princely figure. Another pitfall is mixing up office bearer roles like president and secretary. To avoid this, commit the simple fact to memory that R. E. Grant Govan was the first BCCI president at the time of its formation.

Final Answer:
The first president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India was R. E. Grant Govan.