Former International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Jagmohan Dalmiya returned to head the world's most powerful cricket board on Monday following his unopposed election as president of the Indian board.

Dalmiya will succeed ICC chairman N Srinivasan who was barred from contesting the election by India's top court for possible conflict of interests. Srinivasan's India Cements company owns the Chennai franchise in the Indian Premier League twenty20 tournament.

Dalmiya, who headed the ICC from 1997 to 2000 and was named BCCI president the following year, is widely credited for turning India into cricket's financial powerhouse and the most influential member of the sport's global governing body.

He was the consensus candidate between the two rival groups headed by Srinivasan and former ICC chief Sharad Pawar, local media reported.

Anurag Thakur replaced Sanjay Patel as secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the ruling body said in a statement.

The board also elected a joint secretary, treasurer and five vice presidents at its annual general meeting in Chennai.