The Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its state affiliate, the Odisha Cricket Affiliation (OCA), look like at odds over the Lodha Committee rulings, the Nationwide Sports activities Governance Act and whether or not cricket administration is a public or personal operate. Extra considerably, they differ on the essential concern of elections to the state unit, with the dispute finally touchdown earlier than the state Excessive Court docket.
The BCCI has taken the place that the OCA should conduct its elections or danger having its funds withheld and being derecognised. The OCA, nevertheless, has argued that the elections have been deferred to evaluate the affect of the Nationwide Sports activities Governance Act, 2025, notably since cricket is now an Olympic sport. The OCA elections, which have been due in October 2025, have since been postponed twice.
Melinda Colaco, senior supervisor (authorized) of the BCCI, has filed an affidavit within the State Excessive Court docket stating, “…it’s crucial that the Odisha Cricket Affiliation ought to maintain its election instantly” earlier than occurring to say that no office-bearer can maintain workplace consecutively for greater than two years and is required to uphold the spirit of judgement of Supreme Court docket of India. “…else it is going to be in violation of Odisha Cricket Affiliation’s personal bylaws, BCCI’s MoA and instructions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court docket…,” the BCCI affidavit states.
The BCCI intervention was necessitated after Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, a former Odisha cricketer and coach, who had beforehand contested within the OCA elections, filed a petition within the court docket with prayers for elections to be held to the OCA.
The petition additional states, “It’s submitted that non-compliance with the (above provisions – Lodha provisions) makes an affiliation disentitled for a grant beneath Rule 3 (b) (1) of the BCCI MoA. Additional as per Rule (b) (3) if any affiliation continues to be disentitled beneath Rule 3 (b), for a steady interval of two years, then the BCCI might derecognise as a member,” and provides, “The instructions of Supreme Court docket of India are binding on the Odisha Cricket Affiliation.”
OCA president Pankaj Mohanty, secretary Sanjay Behera and treasurer Bikash Pradhan have been holding the positions since October 2019.
The OCA has cited the provisions of the Nationwide Sports activities Act and submitted earlier than the Excessive Court docket that its common physique has handed a decision stating that the affect of the Sports activities Act should first be assessed, notably because the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities has advisable suspending elections to sports activities our bodies till December 2026.
“Nevertheless, by a majority of vote/opinion, the Election was deferred to evaluate the affect of Nationwide Sports activities Governance Act 2025, extra notably in view of the truth that Cricket has been included as Olympic Sport for the forthcoming Olympic Video games to be held in the USA of America within the 12 months 2028,” secretary Behera submitted earlier than the court docket.
He went on to additional state, “That it is very important point out two necessary elements that come for consideration by this Hon’ble court docket. The Authorities of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities, Division of Sports activities, vide its notification no 12-13 2025, has issued a round with the topic “Deferment of Upcoming election of Nationwide Sports activities Federations as much as thirty first December 2026, as a transitionary measure.”
Nevertheless, the stand of the BCCI, the father or mother physique of the OCA, as submitted by Colaco, is completely different. “Despite the fact that the Nationwide Sports activities Governance Act, 2025, has been enacted, the game of cricket has not been notified as a chosen for the Nationwide Sports activities Governance act, 2025 to use,” the BCCI affidavit says.
The OCA held two Particular Normal Conferences – on August 31, 2025, and February 22, 2026 – at which it resolved to postpone the election. The primary postponement was to make sure clean conduct of the December 9 T20I between India and South Africa whereas the second was due to the advice of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities.
Of their affidavits and counter-affidavits, the events have debated whether or not the administration of cricket and the conduct of elections quantity to discharge of public responsibility. The BCCI, citing the Supreme Court docket, has mentioned, “BCCI discharges necessary public capabilities and is due to this fact amenable to writ jurisdiction.”
Cricbuzz reached out to Behera. The subsequent listening to is on Thursday (August 27).
