Arunachal Pradesh forfeit Ranji Trophy Plate Group opener amid state association dispute

Arunachal Pradesh have forfeited their Ranji Trophy Plate Group opener against Nagaland, which was scheduled to begin on Sunday in Ahmedabad, amid an administrative crisis in the state cricket association and a case pending before the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court.

The forfeiture followed the state failing to field their Under-19 side for a Vinoo Mankad Trophy fixture against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. Elections were held in September, with Nabam Vivek elected as president. Several district associations subsequently approached the Gauhati High Court alleging irregularities in those polls.

The Gauhati High Court has reserved its order in the matter, a step that has prevented the BCCI from intervening and constituting an independent selection panel as it did in the case of Bihar. "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 PTI.

Arunachal Pradesh finished at the bottom of the Plate Group standings last season, losing all five of their matches. The Plate Group also contains Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim alongside Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

With the High Court's order reserved and the BCCI unable to act, the state association remains without a functioning authority to finalise selections for its Plate Group campaign until the court gives clearance.