Arunachal Pradesh have forfeited their Ranji Trophy Plate Group opening match against Nagaland, scheduled to begin in Ahmedabad on October 11, after an administrative dispute within the Arunachal Pradesh Cricket Association (APCA) left the state without a functioning authority to select and manage its team.
The crisis has also affected age-group cricket, with Arunachal Pradesh failing to field its Under-19 team for a Vinoo Mankad Trophy match against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The developments have raised concerns over the impact of the association’s internal dispute on players and the state’s participation in domestic cricket competitions.
The administrative deadlock stems from a dispute between rival factions within the APCA. The association held its elections in September, in which Nabam Vivek was elected president. However, several district cricket associations subsequently approached the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court, challenging the election process and alleging irregularities.
The matter remains before the High Court, which has reserved its order. The ongoing legal proceedings have prevented the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from intervening to resolve the dispute and restore the association’s functioning.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the court order had restricted the board from taking action to address the situation.
“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 had told reporters.
The absence of an authorised body to take administrative decisions has left the state association unable to complete essential tasks, including selecting teams for scheduled matches. As a result, Arunachal Pradesh have missed fixtures in both senior and age-group competitions.
The BCCI had taken steps to constitute an independent selection panel in Bihar under similar circumstances, but the court proceedings in Arunachal Pradesh have prevented it from adopting an intervention in the present case.
The situation has placed the state’s domestic cricket participation at risk, with players unable to represent Arunachal Pradesh in scheduled tournaments because of an administrative dispute beyond their control.
Arunachal Pradesh had also endured a difficult campaign in the Ranji Trophy Plate Group last season, finishing at the bottom of the standings after losing all five matches.
The Plate Group features Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim. The forfeiture against Nagaland has disrupted the state’s campaign at the start of the new season, with the association’s future functioning dependent on the outcome of the legal proceedings.
The immediate challenge for Arunachal Pradesh cricket is to resolve the leadership dispute and restore a functioning administrative structure so that team selection and participation in domestic competitions can resume. Until the court clarifies the position, uncertainty is likely to continue over the association’s ability to manage upcoming fixtures and support players across different age groups.
