Arunachal Pradesh will not field a team in the 2026-27 Vinoo Mankad Trophy after an unresolved legal dispute left its state cricket association unable to complete team selection and preparations, in a major setback for grassroots cricket in the Northeast.
The state's young cricketers were scheduled to open their campaign against Sikkim in the Plate Group at the KIIT Cricket Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. With the Arunachal Cricket Association (ACA) frozen by a court stay, the team will forfeit the fixture, and Sikkim is expected to be awarded full points under BCCI playing conditions.
A feud that froze the board
The impasse stems from a factional fight within the ACA, where six district bodies — Lower Siang, Upper Subansiri, Kamle, Tawang, West Siang and Papum Pare — alleged widespread rule violations during the state executive elections, disputed the election of president Nabam Vivek and other office-bearers, and demanded fresh polls.
The Itanagar Bench of the Gauhati High Court placed an interim stay on the functioning of the association. The matter was heard in the first week of September, but the judgment is yet to be delivered, leaving no functioning board in place for months. As BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told IANS, with no functionary in the ACA, there was simply no preparation to constitute a team for the tournament.
Wider fallout for players
The deadlock has already affected the state's participation in the U19 Women's T20 Trophy, and officials warn that Ranji Trophy participation could also be in doubt if the administrative paralysis continues. For a generation of cricketers in the state, the boardroom battle means a lost season at the very level meant to launch national careers.
Sources: Arunachal Pradesh Cricket Hit By Legal Battle, Vinoo Mankad Trophy Exit Confirmed — ABP Live; Arunachal Cricket in limbo: Court deadlock halts Vinoo Mankad campaign, threatens Ranji season — Mathrubhumi; Arunachal Pradesh cricket team to miss Vinoo Mankad trophy amid legal dispute — CricketAddictor
The state's young cricketers were scheduled to open their campaign against Sikkim in the Plate Group at the KIIT Cricket Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. With the Arunachal Cricket Association (ACA) frozen by a court stay, the team will forfeit the fixture, and Sikkim is expected to be awarded full points under BCCI playing conditions.
A feud that froze the board
The impasse stems from a factional fight within the ACA, where six district bodies — Lower Siang, Upper Subansiri, Kamle, Tawang, West Siang and Papum Pare — alleged widespread rule violations during the state executive elections, disputed the election of president Nabam Vivek and other office-bearers, and demanded fresh polls.
The Itanagar Bench of the Gauhati High Court placed an interim stay on the functioning of the association. The matter was heard in the first week of September, but the judgment is yet to be delivered, leaving no functioning board in place for months. As BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told IANS, with no functionary in the ACA, there was simply no preparation to constitute a team for the tournament.
Wider fallout for players
The deadlock has already affected the state's participation in the U19 Women's T20 Trophy, and officials warn that Ranji Trophy participation could also be in doubt if the administrative paralysis continues. For a generation of cricketers in the state, the boardroom battle means a lost season at the very level meant to launch national careers.
Sources: Arunachal Pradesh Cricket Hit By Legal Battle, Vinoo Mankad Trophy Exit Confirmed — ABP Live; Arunachal Cricket in limbo: Court deadlock halts Vinoo Mankad campaign, threatens Ranji season — Mathrubhumi; Arunachal Pradesh cricket team to miss Vinoo Mankad trophy amid legal dispute — CricketAddictor
