Arunachal Pradesh forfeit Ranji Trophy opener amid state board court dispute

Arunachal Pradesh have forfeited their opening Ranji Trophy Plate Group fixture against Nagaland after an internal governance dispute left the state without an active board or selection panel to name a squad.

A legal battle before the Gauhati High Court has effectively frozen all administrative operations within the Arunachal Cricket Association. As a result, the team will not travel to Ahmedabad for the match scheduled to begin on Sunday.

Disputed elections leave state cricket in limbo

The crisis began following the state association's elections in September, where Nabam Vivek was elected as president. Several district cricket associations promptly challenged the election process in the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court, citing irregularities in how the vote was conducted.

With the court reserving its order on the petition, the state body has been left without any recognised executive authority capable of convening selection meetings, appointing support staff, or approving travel for players.

Why the BCCI cannot appoint an ad hoc panel

In similar situations elsewhere, such as in Bihar, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has stepped in to appoint temporary selection committees to ensure teams can take the field. However, board officials confirmed that the current court proceedings prevent any direct intervention.

"There is a stay order from the court and the BCCI cannot step in," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said. "There is no one running the state body. Until the court gives the clearance, we cannot do anything."

Without official authorisation from either a court-approved committee or the BCCI, no squad could be sanctioned for the opening round.

Age-group teams also affected by administrative freeze

The administrative paralysis has extended beyond the senior Ranji Trophy side. Arunachal Pradesh was unable to field its Under-19 team for a Vinoo Mankad Trophy match against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The state is also set to miss its opening fixture in the CK Nayudu Trophy.

The forfeits compound a difficult spell on the field for Arunachal Pradesh. In the previous Ranji Trophy season, the team finished bottom of the Plate Group after losing all five of its matches against Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Sikkim.

Unless the Gauhati High Court issues an interim order or resolves the election dispute shortly, Arunachal Pradesh risks forfeiting further matches in the domestic calendar, leaving scores of state cricketers stranded on the sidelines.