The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Committee of Administrators officially lifted the 5-year ban on Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). RCA president CP Joshi announced the recognition given to RCA by BCCI.

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RCA breathes a sigh of relief

“Based on information provided to the Committee of Administrators and the undertakings given to the BCCI by RCA, the Committee of Administrators is satisfied that the Rajasthan Cricket Association has complied with and fulfilled all the conditions for revocation of suspension set out in the resolution passed in BCCI’s special general meeting on 11th December 2017,” the email from BCCI's official account said. “Accordingly, the Committee of Administrators has decided to revoke RCA’s suspension from membership of the BCCI with effect from today (September 6)," it further read.

Joshi was extremely ecstatic, which was visible from his joyous demeanor.

Considering the revocation of the ban a milestone achievement, he said, “My job is done. When I had become the president, my main goal was to get the ban revoked. Today, I have achieved that.” He added that the RCA should receive around Rs 250 crore from the BCCI as the annual grants have been pending since the suspension. “This is a substantial amount and we can utilize it in constructing our own stadium, which has been a dream for us."

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The story behind the ban 

Back in 2014, the BCCI had banned the association after former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi was elected the state association's president. Modi was a banned entity and thus RCA suffered the brunt of BCCI. In the polls 3 years later, CP Joshi defeated Modi's son to get elected as the president of the body, after which Modi resigned. Since then, RCA has been attempting to get the ban lifted.

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Disassociation from Modi

The state body was asked to disassociate itself from any cricket body which was associated with Modi or his affiliates, to get the ban revoked. In order to fulfill the criteria, RCA disassociated itself from DCA Nagaur, Sriganganagar DCA, and Alwar DCA. Modi was the president of DCA Nagaur before resigning from the post. Modi’s son Ruchir is Alwar DCA’s president, while his advocate Mehmood Abdi holds the same post at Sriganganagar DCA.

"We had to take a tough decision in disaffiliating DCA Nagaur, Sriganganagar DCA and Alwar DCA," Joshi said. 

The RCA is now all set to take part in the BCCI elections to be held in October.

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RCA Elections

The RCA is set to begin the election process. Joshi announced that the process would follow the schedule given by the Committee of Administrators which includes the appointment of an electoral officer. He said the notice would be issued by September 12 and the elections would be conducted by September 28. Whether or not Joshi himself would seek re-election is unclear at the moment. 

“I still have a year to turn 70,” he said. “I will sit down with the newly elected members of the EC and chalk out the road map for RCA.”

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Modi loyalist Rajendra Singh Nandu, however, will create hurdles in Joshi's plan of action. Supposedly suspended from his post as the RCA secretary, he has called elections on September 23 and alleges that Joshi was misusing his position to spread lies.