The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is making full preparations for its upcoming elections and team sponsorship matters. Following recent directives from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Supreme Court, the BCCI will hold its elections on time under the old constitution.
Sports News: Despite the enactment of the National Sports Administration Law, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will have to hold its annual general meeting next month and also conduct new elections. The reason for this is that the law has not yet been notified. This law, passed by the Indian government in Parliament, can take four to five months to be notified, and until then, the BCCI elections cannot be postponed.
Elections to be held under old constitution
The BCCI is currently operating under a constitution based on the recommendations of the Lodha Committee and the orders of the Supreme Court. The new National Sports Administration Law is yet to be notified. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has clarified that while it may take four to five months for the law to be notified, until then, the BCCI and its state associations will function under the old rules.
This means that the BCCI and its state cricket associations can hold their elections on time in September 2025. According to the old rules, the maximum age limit for office bearers is 70 years. This will be changed under the new law, and office bearers elected before the age of 70 will be able to complete their tenures.
Office bearers of several state associations, including the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, are set to step down this time due to their continuous six-year or a total of nine-year tenures. They were hoping for relief from the new law, but BCCI officials have clarified that the rules will apply equally to everyone.
What happened in the Apex Council meeting
Recently, the BCCI's Apex Council meeting was held under the chairmanship of interim president Rajiv Shukla. Discussions were held regarding the Indian team's sponsor, Dream11. Following the Indian government's new law on online gaming and regulation, Dream11 is no longer the main sponsor of the Indian team. It was decided in the meeting to terminate Dream11's contract and search for a new sponsor for the next two and a half years.
However, a short-term sponsor will not be brought in for the Asia Cup 2025 matches, which are scheduled to begin on September 10. The BCCI's focus will be on securing a sponsor until the World Cup in October-November 2027. According to sources, gaming companies did not anticipate the government introducing a law so quickly and imposing a 40 percent tax on it. This led many companies to reconsider their stakes.
