Arunachal Pradesh are deemed to have forfeited their season opener against Nagaland in the Ranji Trophy Plate division. The match was scheduled to begin on Sunday (October 11) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The northeastern side will also miss the CK Nayudu Trophy season-opener, against Meghalaya, scheduled to begin on October 12.
The confirmation came from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). An official from the BCCI’s Cricket Operations team has informed the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) that the two opening-round matches in the Ranji Trophy Plate division and the CK Nayudu Trophy will not be held.
The GCA officials conveyed the BCCI’s decisions to the Nagaland side, based in Ahmedabad, on Saturday evening, advising them that the status of the future matches would be intimated in due course. Ahmedabad has been Arunachal Pradesh’s home venue for domestic matches over the past few years.
“We have been informed by a GCA official that there will be no match tomorrow. It was to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium. We don’t have further information,” a member of the Nagaland team told Cricbuzz on Saturday evening. Arunachal’s next Ranji match is against Sikkim in Nadiad from October 18.
Their first CK Nayudu Trophy match, against Manipur, was scheduled to be played at the MCA Cricket Ground, Polo Ground, Shillong, from October 12. It has also been cancelled. Their second CK Nayudu game is against Nagaland at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Anand, from October 19.
The current situation in Arunachal cricket stems from a dispute over elections to the Arunachal Cricket Association (ARCA), which has ended up in court. The Gauhati High Court is hearing the case and has reserved its verdict.
In the absence of a legitimate body, cricket has taken a beating in the state. No team has been selected, and the camp that used to be organised in Ahmedabad has not been held either.
Arunachal lost all five of their matches in the Plate division last season. Overall, in 41 Ranji Trophy matches, they have won only once, against Bihar in 2022.
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