Arunachal Pradesh’s domestic cricket campaign has suffered another setback, with the state forfeiting its Ranji Trophy Plate Group opener against Nagaland amid an administrative deadlock that has left its cricket association without a functioning authority to manage team selection and other operations.
The match was scheduled to begin on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, coinciding with the start of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season. I don’t know what will happen over them playing in the Ranji Trophy, starting on October 11. “So, due to the issue present in front of that bench, there is no functionary in the Arunachal Cricket Association. So no board is in place there for quite some time, and therefore, there was no preparation to constitute a team for this Vinoo Mankad Trophy,” Saikia had told IANS. “As a result, they could not field the team in the junior men’s levels. Because of this matter there in the court,” added Saikia, nobody is governing there.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had earlier told IANS that the legal impasse had already disrupted Arunachal Pradesh’s participation in junior domestic competitions, with the absence of a functioning state body making team selection and preparation impossible. The matter was finally heard in the first week of September, but the judgment is yet to be delivered by the bench. At the time, Saikia had also expressed uncertainty over the state’s participation in the Ranji Trophy, with the opening fixture against Nagaland approaching and the court yet to deliver its verdict. Everybody is waiting for the outcome of the court’s verdict. As the matter is sub-judice, the BCCI cannot also step in. The forfeiture of the Ranji Trophy fixture has now turned those concerns into a setback for the state’s senior men’s team. The dispute has also raised questions about Arunachal Pradesh’s ability to participate in the remainder of the domestic season if the administrative vacuum continues.
The forfeiture follows Arunachal Pradesh’s failure to field a team for their Vinoo Mankad Trophy fixture against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar earlier this week, highlighting the growing impact of the dispute on players across age groups.
