The Supreme Court of India has initiated a legal inquiry into whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its affiliated state associations should be brought under the purview of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. During a hearing on Tuesday, September 8, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, directed legal representatives for the cricket boards to seek instructions on why the service terms and conditions of their office-bearers should not be regulated by the current legislation.
The BCCI has historically maintained that the 2025 Act does not apply to cricket. In previous submissions to the Odisha High Court regarding the Odisha Cricket Association elections, the board argued that cricket has not been officially notified as a designated sport under the Act. Furthermore, the board has long contended that because it operates without government grants, it should remain outside the scope of such statutory regulations. This resistance also extends to potential oversight by a statutory regulator and the Right to Information (RTI) Act, both of which are provisions within the Sports Act that the BCCI has traditionally opposed.
Currently, the BCCI operates under the Supreme Court-approved, amended Lodha Committee recommendations. These guidelines mandate that office-bearers may serve for two consecutive terms, followed by a mandatory three-year cooling-off period. The timing of this judicial inquiry is significant, as the BCCI is scheduled to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai on September 18, where the matter is expected to be a key topic of discussion.
In preparation for the upcoming AGM, the board has seen nominations for the IPL Governing Council from the general body, with incumbent IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal of Himachal Pradesh and Khairul Jamal Majumdar of Mizoram both seeking re-election. Both candidates are currently positioned to retain their seats on the council.
Separately, the BCCI electoral officer, AK Joti, has issued an order barring the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) and the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) from participating in the AGM. Consequently, the nominated representatives for these associations—Pranav Amin for the BCA and Desh Rattan Dubey for the JKCA—will be prohibited from taking part in the proceedings. The report also notes that but the board’s stance is clear from its submissions in another case, bCCI officials were not immediately available for comment. The report also notes that exactly what the BCCI’s opposition to the Sports Act is has not been explained in that affidavit.
