The Supreme Court has asked the BCCI and state cricket associations why they should not come under the National Sports Governance (NSG) Act, 2025.
The court has been dealing with several cricket administration cases for nearly 12 years, since it stepped in to bring reforms to the BCCI. On Tuesday, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, sought a response from the BCCI and its state associations on whether they should be covered by the new law.
Several cases are still pending before the Supreme Court. These include requests from state associations and their members to make changes to their constitutions, as well as disputes over the control and management of cricket bodies.
Supreme Court Seeks BCCI Response on NSG Act
The original case was filed by the BCCI in 2014. It eventually led to the Supreme Court approving a new BCCI constitution in August 2018, based on the recommendations of the Justice R.M. Lodha Committee. In September 2022, the court also allowed major changes to rules related to the tenure of office-bearers and the cooling-off period.
The Sports Ministry introduced new rules under the NSG Act in May this year. The rules aim to improve the way sports bodies are managed and provide a system to handle disputes.
If the BCCI and state associations come under the NSG Act, many of the ongoing cases related to cricket administration could move from the Supreme Court to the sports tribunal. This could reduce the workload of the already busy Supreme Court.
Under the NSG Act, the National Sports Board will act as the main regulatory body. It will oversee the recognition of national sports organisations and check whether they follow governance, financial and ethical standards. The law also includes rules for transparent elections and fixed terms for elected officials.