Rajasthan Royals get major relief as HC removes key hurdle to IPL in Jaipur | Cricket News

Jaipur: With the Rajasthan High Court suspending the ad hoc committee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), a major roadblock in state cricket governance has been removed. The High Court has appointed additional chief secretary in the state home dept Bhaskar A Sawant as the sole administrator and has directed him to complete the long-overdue democratic elections within three months.The ad hoc setup had lingered for over two-and-a-half years since the exit of former president Vaibhav Gehlot in February 2024. Despite seeing a revolving door of political convenors and several extensions, the temporary panel failed entirely at its core mandate of organising elections.The immediate fallout of the judicial reset is positive for the state’s sporting landscape. A stabilised, constitutionally elected leadership will finally be able to resume work on the association’s half-built premier Chonp stadium project and address other long-pending 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 strengthens the prospects of the Indian Premier League (IPL) continuing in Jaipur. The relationship between the RCA and the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) had broken down in early 2024, when the sports council sealed the stadium and RCA headquarters over the expiry of their MoU and outstanding dues of approximately Rs 8 crore.With the RCA reduced to an unelected ad hoc committee, the apex cricket board (BCCI) made an exceptional, one-time arrangement allowing the sports council to facilitate the hosting of IPL matches in Jaipur for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The Rajasthan Royals coordinated match operations directly with the sports department under this special dispensation, though the BCCI generally prefers to deal with a properly elected member association. However, the BCCI has repeatedly made it clear that such temporary fixes cannot continue. IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal has stated that IPL matches can be held in Jaipur only if the RCA conducts proper elections and puts in place a democratically elected body, in addition to ensuring the venue meets IPL standards. The franchise has also been assessing the facility’s readiness.By appointing a professional administrator with a clear mandate to hold elections within three months, the HC has directly addressed the BCCI’s key precondition. This significantly improves the likelihood of the Royals continuing to play their home matches in Jaipur without further administrative uncertainty.Lingering questions: Questions are now being raised about the fate of actions taken by the outgoing ad hoc panel, including the recent internal inquiry initiated against Bharatpur DCA secretary Shatrudhan Tiwari over complaints of harassment by women players.People familiar with the matter say the new administrator can still examine such cases if the affected players approach the RCA again.Additionally, some players have expressed concern over whether their performances in the recently concluded Colvin Shield, which serves as a key selection criterion for the senior men’s team, will be considered by the future elected body. They are hoping their efforts do not go in vain.