Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly’s cryptic tweet on Wednesday evening led to speculation that the former India captain was stepping down from his position. But secretary Jay Shah was quick to dismiss the news as “incorrect”.

The BCCI president, too, announced later that the tweet was a precursor to a commercial project. Sourav, in his tweet posted around 5.20pm, said he was planning to enter a new chapter of his life and will start something that will “probably help a lot of people”.

“2022 marks the 30th year since the start of my journey with cricket in 1992. Since then, cricket has given me a lot... I want to thank every single person who has been a part of the journey, supported me, and helped me reach where I am today,” he tweeted.

“Today, I am planning to start something that I feel will probably help a lot of people. I hope you continue your support as I enter this chapter of my life.”

Sourav later clarified that the tweet had been misinterpreted and had nothing to do with his joining politics or quitting the BCCI.

“I have launched a new educational app worldwide... I was surprised (with the speculation). It was a simple tweet, there is no mention of resignation, nothing,” he told reporters at his residence later in the evening.

In a statement, secretary Shah said: “The rumours doing rounds about Mr Sourav Ganguly stepping down from the post of BCCI president are factually incorrect. We have some exciting times in the form of media rights coming up and my colleagues and I are completely focused on the upcoming opportunity and safeguarding the interest of Indian cricket.”

There has been talk surrounding Sourav’s joining the Rajya Sabha as the President’s nominee but he has remained tight-lipped. It gained credence after Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to his residence in Behala last month though nothing on the issue was discussed then.

Sourav has also spoken about his close ties with Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on several occasions.

Sourav, 49, was appointed as the BCCI chief in October 2019. Besides organising three IPL editions amid the pandemic, Team India has attained the No.1 ranking in Test cricket during his tenure. Two more IPL franchises were inducted into the fold to make it a 10-team tournament this year.

The IPL media rights for the next five-year cycle, starting 2023, is coming up for bidding on June 12. The BCCI has fixed a combined base price of Rs 32,890 crore for the four categories it has put up for sale.