CRISIS engulfs Arunachal Pradesh cricket as the state association’s internal power struggle has spilled onto the field, forcing a premature and damaging forfeiture of their opening Ranji Trophy fixture. The Plate Group clash against Nagaland, originally slated for a Sunday start in Ahmedabad, will not go ahead, marking a grim new chapter for a state cricket program currently devoid of legitimate leadership.
The forfeiture serves as a stark symptom of a deeper, systemic breakdown within the Arunachal Pradesh Cricket Association (APCA). Two rival factions remain locked in a bitter struggle for control of the organization, a dispute that has paralyzed the administrative machinery and left players stranded in a state of professional limbo. With the matter currently sub judice before the Gauhati High Court’s Itanagar bench, the lack of a recognized governing body has rendered the association incapable of executing even the most basic of functions, including the selection and dispatch of squads for national competitions.
A systemic collapse in age-group cricket
The fallout from the institutional chaos is not confined to the senior men’s red-ball squad. The administrative paralysis has bled into the development pipeline, casting a shadow over the future of the state’s young talent. Just days before the Ranji Trophy announcement, the consequences of this power vacuum were made painfully clear when the state’s Under-19 team failed to take the field for their Vinoo Mankad Trophy encounter against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar.
With no functioning authority to oversee team selection or manage logistics, the young players were left without representation. The inability to field a side in a premier national tournament like the Vinoo Mankad Trophy is a devastating blow to the prospects of rising cricketers who rely on these events for exposure and career progression.
Courtroom deadlock paralyzes the BCCI
At the heart of the standoff is a contentious election held in September, during which Nabam Vivek was declared president. That result, however, was immediately contested by a coalition of district associations, who filed a challenge in the Gauhati High Court alleging widespread irregularities in the electoral process.
The legal standoff has effectively tied the hands of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). While the national governing body has previously demonstrated a willingness to intervene in state-level crises—most notably when it stepped in to form an independent selection committee to rescue Bihar’s domestic campaign—it remains hamstrung in this instance.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia clarified the board’s position, noting that the legal stay order prevents any outside interference or administrative takeover. “There is a stay order from the court and the BCCI cannot step in,” Saikia told the Press Trust of India. “There is no one running the state body. Until the court gives the clearance, we cannot do anything.”
The legal deadlock means that until a judicial verdict is reached, the state’s cricket operations remain suspended in mid-air, with the BCCI unable to force a resolution or bypass the warring factions to ensure the players’ participation in the season’s remaining schedule.
The long shadow of a winless campaign
For the Arunachal Pradesh squad, this forfeited opener is a disheartening start to a season that was already burdened by the baggage of a miserable previous year. During the last Ranji Trophy cycle, the side struggled to keep pace with the rest of the Plate Group, eventually finishing at the bottom of the table after suffering five consecutive losses.
The Plate Group, which also features Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Sikkim, is designed to provide a competitive pathway for the country’s smaller cricketing states. However, the current administrative vacuum threatens to derail any progress the team might have hoped to make this year. Without leadership, coaching continuity, or a clear administrative path, the players are being forced to navigate a season where their biggest challenges are taking place off the pitch rather than on it.
An uncertain path forward
As the rest of the domestic cricket season gains momentum, the future for Arunachal Pradesh remains bleak. Every day that passes without a functioning association is a day lost for the state’s athletes. With the Gauhati High Court yet to deliver its final order, the cricketing landscape in the state remains firmly in the dark.
The situation presents a troubling challenge for the BCCI, which must balance its commitment to the autonomy of state associations against the necessity of ensuring that players are not collateral damage in internal political wars. For now, the cricketers of Arunachal Pradesh are left waiting for a judicial breakthrough, while the sport they represent suffers the consequences of a boardroom battle that shows no sign of nearing a conclusion.
Whether this forfeited match against Nagaland is a singular blunder or the first of many missed opportunities for the state remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that until the APCA establishes a stable, undisputed leadership, the players will continue to pay the highest price.
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