Rajasthan Royals will get a big relief as HC clears key hurdle for IPL in Jaipur

Rajasthan Royals (ANI Photo) Jaipur: A major hurdle in the state’s cricket governance has been removed by the Rajasthan High Court’s suspension of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) ad hoc committee. The Supreme Court has appointed Additional Home Secretary Bhaskar A Sawant as the sole administrator and directed him to complete the long-awaited democratic elections within three months.The ad hoc setup has persisted for more than two-and-a-half years since the departure of former president Vaibhav Gehlot in February 2024. Despite seeing a revolving door of political conveners and several extensions, the interim panel has completely failed in its core mandate to organize elections.The immediate impact of the judicial reset is positive for the sports landscape in the state. A stabilized, constitutionally elected leadership will finally be able to resume work on the half-built Chonp premier stadium project and address other long-standing issues. For years, local cricket development has been held hostage by exorbitant rental fees and disputes over access to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.Crucially, the HC order also boosts the prospects of the Indian Premier League (IPL) resuming in Jaipur. The relationship between RCA and the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) collapsed in early 2024 when the sports council closed down the stadium and RCA headquarters following the expiry of their memorandum and outstanding dues of around Rs 8 crore.With the RCA reduced to an unelected ad hoc committee, the apex cricket board (BCCI) made an exceptional one-off arrangement that allowed the sports council to facilitate the hosting of IPL matches in Jaipur for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Rajasthan Royals coordinated match operations directly with the sports department under this special exemption, although the BCCI generally prefers to deal with a duly elected member association. However, the BCCI has repeatedly made it clear that such temporary fixes cannot continue. IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal said that IPL matches can be held in Jaipur only if the RCA conducts proper elections and sets up a democratically elected body, apart from the venue meeting IPL standards. The franchise also assesses the facility’s readiness.By appointing a professional administrator with a clear mandate to hold elections within three months, the HC directly addressed the BCCI’s key assumption. This greatly increases the likelihood that the Royals will continue to play their home matches in Jaipur without further administrative uncertainty.Persistent questions: Questions are now being raised about the fate of the steps taken by the outgoing ad hoc panel, including the recent internal inquiry launched against Bharatpur DCA secretary Shatrudhan Tiwari over complaints of harassment by female players.People familiar with the matter say the new administrator may still investigate such cases if the affected players appeal to RCA again.In addition, some players have expressed concern whether their performances in the recently concluded Colvin Shield, which serves as a key selection criterion for the senior team, will be considered by the future elected body. They hope that their efforts will not be in vain.