Arunachal fail to turn up for Ranji Trophy tie amid legal row, Nagaland get walkover

Arunachal Pradesh's cricket team has run into serious trouble at the very start of the domestic season. Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland were to play a Ranji Trophy 2026-27 Plate Group match, but the Arunachal team did not turn up for it. Nagaland were given a walkover as a result.

Because of an internal dispute in the state cricket body and a court case, the Arunachal team could not play its first Ranji match, against Nagaland, on October 11. The team also had to withdraw from its first CK Nayudu Trophy match, against Meghalaya. The BCCI has confirmed that both matches stand cancelled.

The whole matter relates to the elections of the Arunachal Cricket Association (ACA). The association is currently caught in a legal dispute, and two factions are locked in a bitter quarrel over the election. Several district cricket associations have alleged rigging and irregularities in the election. The matter then reached the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court. As a result, Arunachal Pradesh could not even announce its team for the Ranji Trophy 2026-27.

Senior team player Techi Neri confirmed that there was no selection process for the players, no preparation and no practice camp. The players are therefore stuck in Itanagar for now. The administrative crisis has also affected junior cricket. The state's Under-19 team could not take part in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had already made it clear that the ongoing standoff between the two ACA factions was obstructing cricket-related decisions and team selection. Cricket associations of six districts of Arunachal Pradesh have alleged violations of rules in the ACA's official election and have demanded a fresh election.

After Arunachal's refusal to play, Nagaland were declared the winners and awarded six points. Arunachal are due to play Sikkim next week. If the legal process does not move forward and no decision comes, that match too could be cancelled.

This is the first time in 17 years that a Ranji Trophy match has been cancelled. Earlier, in 2009, the Services team had refused to travel to Srinagar for security reasons. Jammu and Kashmir were then declared winners by walkover.