Sawai Man Singh Stadium: Who will conduct Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in Jaipur amid the crisis in the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA)? This seems to have become the million-dollar question amid the present tension in RCA, especially after Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of former Chief Minister and senior Congressman Ashok Gehlot, resigned from the post of RCA President on Monday, leaving millions of fans in dilemma as to how the IPL matches will be held in the capital city.
As per the initial schedule for the first 21 matches released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jaipur is slated to host three games of the home team Rajasthan Royals — on March 24, March 28, and April 6.
A few RCA officials told IANS that now the ball is in the investigation officer’s court. If he decides, an ad-hoc committee will be formed.
As per the norms, elections will be held for all the six posts in the RCA. The existing committee has a legal tenure of three months and in such a situation, the IPL matches can be organised by the ad-hoc committee, and elections will be conducted thereafter.
In another scenario, the investigating officer can also allow the existing committee comprising five members after the resignation of Vaibhav Gehlot to conduct the IPL matches in Jaipur.
Former RCA Treasurer, Pinkesh Porwal, told IANS, “The investigating officer will probe the matter and then decide if the ad-hoc committee should conduct the IPL matches, or the existing committee should conduct the games. There are five persons in the RCA committee as of now.”
“Ashok Gehlot, just to get his son elected as the RCA President, had mistreated veteran leader Rameshwar Dudi, who was insulted on the cricket ground and thrown out. Today, he is battling with his health after suffering a brain stroke. Now the very people whom Vaibhav Gehlot had chosen after becoming the RCA President have brought a no-confidence motion against him. It was Ashok Gehlot who played politics in RCA,” Porwal said.
It needs to be mentioned here that the RCA President’s post lies vacant after its chief Vaibhav Gehlot resigned on Monday, citing a no-confidence motion against him even as he maintained that no office-bearer or official contacted or discussed this with him.
In his letter, Vaibhav Gehlot said, “After the change of government in Rajasthan, action against RCA was initiated with malicious intent. In a non-judgmental manner, the RCA office was hastily locked. Now efforts are being made to create an atmosphere of distrust in the RCA by targeting me.
“In such a situation, it is unbearable for me that there should be any crisis during IPL matches in the state and cricket should suffer. Therefore, to save the state’s cricket and cricket players from this situation, I voluntarily resign from the post of President of Rajasthan Cricket Association.”
“Just now, I have received information that a no-confidence motion has also been presented against me. In this regard, all I have to say is that no official or member of RCA discussed with me nor expressed disagreement on any issue, otherwise I would have already tendered my resignation,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot said, “The hasty action taken by the Sports Council against RCA seems to be taken under political malice. Even if the MoU was due to expire, this action could have been taken gracefully.”
It needs to be mentioned here that the Sports Council recently sealed the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here, claiming that the state cricket body did not fulfil its liabilities, including payment of dues.
The RCA office and its academy have also been sealed along with the stadium.