Supreme Court Asks BCCI and State Boards to Justify Exemption From National Sports Law

A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant on Tuesday issued notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and state associations, asking why the cash-rich body should not fall under the purview of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.

The intervention could alter the administrative dynamics of Indian cricket, bringing the tenure, service conditions, and election norms of cricket administrators under a uniform statutory framework that governs other national sports federations across the country.

Court Seeks Uniformity in Sports Administration

The bench, which also included Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, was hearing a fresh set of applications tied to the decade-long litigation over cricket governance in India. While examining the petitions, the judges directed legal counsel representing the BCCI and its affiliated state units to seek clear instructions on whether the board can be integrated into the central legislation.

For years, the BCCI has maintained a unique legal identity as an autonomous society registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, functioning outside the direct administrative oversight of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The apex court's query now directly challenges this historical exemption.

Decade-Long Battle Over Reforms

Governance reforms within Indian cricket have remained under judicial scrutiny since 2014. Following scandals that hit the Indian Premier League, the Supreme Court appointed a committee headed by former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha to recommend structural overhauls.

The Lodha Committee recommendations, which were subsequently adopted by the court, introduced sweeping changes:

• Mandatory three-year cooling-off periods between administrative terms.
• Strict age limits capping administrators at 70 years.
• Restrictions preventing politicians and ministers from holding executive positions simultaneously.

However, the legal landscape shifted in September 2022 when the Supreme Court approved amendments to the board's constitution. That order permitted administrators to serve six consecutive years in a state unit followed by six consecutive years in the BCCI—totalling a 12-year continuous stretch—before triggering a compulsory three-year cooling-off period.