Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 10 Oct: In a major setback for the state's cricket lovers, Arunachal Pradesh is on the verge of forfeiting their Ranji Trophy plate group opener against Nagaland, which is slated to start on Sunday in Ahmedabad, because of an ongoing tussle between two factions of the Arunachal Cricket Association (ACA).
On Thursday, Arunachal could not field its Under-19 team for a 50-over Vinoo Mankad Trophy game against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar.
Sources informed that even professional players who have been contracted to represent the state this season are currently in limbo and have not been informed whether they are supposed to link up in Ahmedabad for the Ranji opener.
PTI quoted BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia as saying: "There is a stay order from the court and the BCCI cannot step in.
"There is no one running the state body. Until the court gives the clearance, we cannot do anything," Saikia added.
The Arunachal Cricket Association (ACA) is currently headed by Doimukh MLA Nabam Vivek.
The factionalism in the state cricket board started brewing after the Papum Pare District Cricket Association (PDCA), led by Teli Pada Camdir, and representatives of four other district units approached the high court under Article 226, challenging the election process of the Arunachal Cricket Association (ARCA) for the annual general meeting scheduled on 24 February, 2026.
The petitioners alleged that the process is vitiated by long tenure violations, a calculated "hot haste" suspension, disqualification of key office-bearers, and multiple breaches of the ARCA constitution and Lodha Committee reforms.
On the other hand, the ACA also filed a petition, seeking vacation or modification of an interim order dated 26 March, 2026, passed in WP(C) No 118/2026. The association has argued that the stay has brought its day-to-day functioning to a near standstill and is prejudicial to cricket administration across Arunachal.
The high court has reserved its order, and even the BCCI currently cannot form an independent selection panel, as it did in the case of Bihar, since the case is sub-judice.
On being contacted, ACA president Nabam Vivek stated that they informed the legal position to the BCCI that Arunachal is unable to send a team due to non-cooperation from the DCAs who filed the petition.
"Since the BCCI domestic tournaments have started, we have requested the petitioners to jointly select the team and let the players participate, but the aggrieved DCAs threatened with contempt of court," Vivek added.
"It's a huge setback for the state cricket board. The state cricketing leaderships have put the future of young cricketers at risk. I earnestly appealed to the BCCI for intervention by constituting an ad hoc committee to oversee the debacle and let players continue to participate in Ranji Trophy and Vinoo Mankad Trophy," said Suraj Tayem, former Arunachal team captain.
