Why should the National Sports Governance Act not apply to BCCI, state bodies, Supreme Court asks

NEW DELHI: Tired of protracted litigation in cricket management, 12 years after starting and initiating reforms in cricket’s richest body, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India and state associations why they should not be subject to the National Sports Governance (NSG) Act, 2025.With numerous requests from various state cricket associations and their members, be it for minor changes in their constitution or disputes arising from factionalism for control over the cash-rich cricket governing bodies, a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked the BCCI and their state branches in mysterious order at the end of today’s hearing why they should not seek a response from their state branches.The flow of requests in the original petition filed by the BCCI in 2014, which led to its constitution in August 2018 on the recommendation of the Justice RM Lodha Committee, continued even after the SC allowed major changes to the BCCI constitution in September 2022 regarding consecutive terms and cooling-off periods in office.In May this year, the sports ministry announced new rules under the NSG Act to improve the governance of sports bodies and adjudication of disputes. If the BCCI and state cricket associations agree to be covered by the NSG Act and the rules contained therein, all litigation relating to the functioning and governance of cricket bodies would be transferred to the Sports Tribunal, thereby relieving a significant burden on the already overburdened SC.The NSG Act and Rules mandate the National Sports Council as the central regulatory body responsible for recognizing national sports bodies and monitoring compliance with governance, financial and ethical standards. They also ensure processes for transparent elections and tenure of elected positions.