Jaipur: along with rajasthan high court A major hurdle in cricket governance in the state has been removed as the ad hoc committee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) has been suspended. The High Court has appointed Additional Chief Secretary, Home Ministry Bhaskar Sawant as the sole administrator and directed him to complete the much-awaited democratic elections within three months.The interim body has been in place for more than two-and-a-half years since the exit of former President Vaibhav Gehlot in February 2024. Despite going through a revolving door of political conveners and several postponements, the ad hoc group completely failed in its core task of organizing elections.The immediate impact of the judicial reset has been positive for the state’s sports landscape. A stable, constitutionally elected leadership would finally be able to resume work on the association’s half-built premier Chonp Stadium project and resolve other long-pending issues. The development of local cricket has been hampered for years by high rents and disputes over the use of the Sawai Mansing Stadium.Crucially, the HC order also strengthens indian premier league (IPL) continues in Jaipur. The relationship between RCA and the Rajasthan State Sports Commission (RSSC) broke down in early 2024 when the sports commission sealed the stadium and RCA headquarters over the expiration of the MoU and unpaid dues of around Rs 8 crore.With the RCA reduced to an unelected ad hoc committee, the Board of Control for Cricket in the Premier League (BCCI) made a special one-off arrangement to allow the Sports Commission to assist in hosting IPL matches in Jaipur for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. this rajasthan royals While the BCCI normally prefers to deal with duly elected member associations, under this special dispensation competition operations are coordinated directly with the sports department. However, the BCCI has made it clear many times that such temporary fixes cannot go ahead. IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal said that IPL matches can be held in Jaipur only if the RCA conducts proper elections and establishes a democratically elected body and ensures that the venue meets IPL standards. The franchise has also been evaluating the facility’s readiness.By appointing a professional administrator and giving a clear mandate to hold elections within three months, the HC directly addressed the BCCI’s key prerequisites. This significantly increases the likelihood that Royals will continue to play home games in Jaipur without further administrative uncertainty.Lingering questions: Questions are now being raised over the fate of the actions taken by the outgoing ad hoc panel, including the recent internal probe launched against Bharatpur DCA secretary Shatrudhan Tiwari over harassment complaints by female players.People familiar with the matter said the new administrator could still review such cases if affected players contact the RCA again.Additionally, some players are concerned about whether their performance in the recently concluded Colvin Shield, a key selection criterion for the senior men’s team, will be considered by future selection bodies. They hope their efforts will not be in vain.
