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Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Rajasthan Royals (RR) has got a big relief as the Rajasthan High Court has appointed Bhaskar A Sawant, additional chief secretary in the state home department, as the sole administrator while suspending the ad-hoc committee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), according to TOI.
The newly appointed additional chief secretary will join the state cricket board with a clear order given by the court. The court has directed Bhaskar A Sawant to arrange democratic elections within three months to decide an appropriate panel of officials to run the cricket board.
Why is there a dire need of elections for the betterment of Rajasthan cricket?
Since February 2024, Rajasthan’s cricket governing body has been functioning without an elected panel following the departure of former president Vaibhav Gehlot. The court has first appointed an ad-hoc committee to resolve the matter. The ad-hoc committee also failed to arrange elections in the past few years, forcing the state high court to appoint an additional chief secretary.
As per the court’s directions, the primary objective of the Additional Chief Secretary is to organize the long-pending democratic elections within three months. Without the presence of a proper panel of administrators, relations between the Rajasthan Cricket Association and the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) were severed in early 2024.
As the MOU had expired and there was an outstanding amount of Rs 8 crore, the State Council sealed the Sawai Mansingh Stadium and the RCA headquarters, creating uncertainty over the home matches of Rajasthan Royals during the IPL 2024 and IPL 2025 seasons.
Why is the mandate important for Rajasthan Royals?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) usually coordinates with the state-elected panel to host matches in the Indian Premier League, but it made an exception in that case. The board resolved the issue of Rajasthan Royals’ home venue by communicating with the state panel so that the team could play in Jaipur.
With the support of BCCI, the franchise was able to play in Jaipur in 2024 and 2025. But for the IPL 2026 season, they had to shift their base to Guwahati. Rajasthan Royals played their home matches at the Barsapara Stadium last season.
Major issues still remain to be addressed
If, as per the order of the state High Court, the newly appointed Additional Chief Secretary can arrange the elections within the mentioned deadline, it will be a big relief for Rajasthan Royals, because with an elected governing body, it will be easier for the BCCI and the franchise to negotiate to host matches at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium from the next season.
There are some other issues which are yet to be resolved for the betterment of cricket across Rajasthan. In the future, the constitutionally elected leadership will be able to restart the half-built Premier Chonup Stadium project.
Years of outstanding dues is another big issue that the state cricket board will also have to address. With the newly appointed panel, the relationship between Rajasthan Cricket Association and Rajasthan State Sports Council will also be restored.