Arunachal Pradesh forfeit Ranji Trophy opener amid cricket association crisis

Arunachal Pradesh have forfeited their Ranji Trophy Plate Group opener against Nagaland, scheduled to begin in Ahmedabad on October 11, as an internal dispute within the state cricket association has left the body without a functioning authority to manage team selection.

The crisis has also affected the state's age-group cricket, with Arunachal Pradesh failing to field their Under-19 team for a Vinoo Mankad Trophy match against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

The administrative deadlock stems from a dispute between rival factions within the Arunachal Pradesh Cricket Association (APCA), with a case over alleged irregularities in its recent elections pending before the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court.

The association held its elections in September, in which Nabam Vivek was elected president. However, several district associations subsequently approached the High Court, challenging the polls and alleging irregularities.

The court has reserved its order in the matter, preventing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from intervening to resolve the impasse. The board had taken steps to constitute an independent selection panel in Bihar under similar circumstances.

"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," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had told reporters.

The dispute has left the association unable to take key decisions, including those related to team selection, resulting in Arunachal Pradesh missing scheduled fixtures across competitions.

Arunachal Pradesh had endured a difficult campaign in the Ranji Trophy Plate Group last season, finishing at the bottom of the standings after losing all five matches.

Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim are the other teams competing in the Plate Group alongside Arunachal Pradesh.