Clarity should eventually result from the Supreme Court’s questioning of the National Sports Governance Act to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The BCCI and the state associations have been asked by the top court to justify their exclusion from the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
A bench made up of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi, and V Mohana brought up the issue on Tuesday, September 8, during the hearing of petitions submitted by several state associations.
According to Live Law, the bench asked the attorneys representing the BCCI and state cricket associations to explain why the 2025 Act, which is currently in effect, shouldn’t apply to their office bearers’ terms and conditions of service. It is anticipated that the BCCI attorneys will shortly make their position apparent.
Although BCCI representatives were not immediately available for comment, the board’s position is evident from its pleadings in a different matter. It has previously maintained that the BCCI is exempt from the National Sports Governance Act.
In a case involving the election of the Odisha Cricket Association, the BCCI argued before the Odisha High Court that “even though the National Sports Governance Act 2025 has been enacted, the sport of cricket has not been notified as a designated sport for the National Sports Governance Act to apply.”
That affidavit does not go into detail about the BCCI’s opposition to the Sports Act. However, it has always maintained that the BCCI should not be covered by the Act because it does not receive government grants.
Additionally, the Sports Act establishes a statutory regulatory body and recognition authority for national sports organisations. They might also fall within the RTI Act’s purview. That clause has long been challenged by the BCCI.
Otherwise, the BCCI adheres to the revised Lodha Committee recommendations, which were accepted by the Supreme Court and allow an office-bearer to serve two terms in a row before a three-year cooling-off period. There will probably be a discussion on the topic at the BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is set for September 18 in Mumbai.
Dhumal submits a nomination
It has been reported that Mizoram’s Khairul Jamal Majumdar and Himachal Pradesh’s Arun Singh Dhumal, the IPL chairman, have submitted their nominations to the general body for the IPL Governing Council posts. They will both be re-elected to the council. The AGM will host the election.
The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) and the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) were both prohibited from attending the AGM by BCCI electoral officer AK Joti. The two associations’ nominated representatives, Pranav Amin and Desh Rattan Dubey, respectively, would not be permitted to attend the AGM per the election officer’s directive.
