Ranji Trophy Controversy: Entire Team Replaced Following Court Order, Players Unhappy

A major controversy has erupted within the Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA), with its internal dispute having a direct impact on the state's Ranji Trophy campaign. The entire Meghalaya squad was replaced just two days before its ongoing Plate Division fixture against Nagaland.

Interestingly, the players from the original squad had already participated in the first three matches and were preparing for their fourth encounter when a court ruling led to a complete change in the team.

The development is linked to an ongoing power struggle between Meghalaya Cricket Association President James Sangma and Secretary Reynold Kharkamni. Kharkamni had earlier been suspended following allegations that he failed to take appropriate action on complaints of sexual harassment involving members of Meghalaya U23 women's team.

The Meghalaya High Court subsequently declared Kharkamni's decisions illegal and invalidated the Ranji Trophy squad selected by the association's Apex Council. Following the court's intervention, MCA President James Sangma oversaw the selection of an entirely new team for the match against Nagaland.

BCCI Responds To Meghalaya Ranji Trophy Controversy

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia addressed the situation while speaking to The Times of India. He explained that the board had to follow the High Court's directive and consequently approved the newly selected squad.

Saikia stated that the BCCI had no alternative but to comply with the court's order. He added that the team selected under the initiative of the MCA President had to be allowed to represent Meghalaya in the ongoing Ranji Trophy fixture.

Dropped Player Rahul Dalal Expresses Disappointment

The sudden squad overhaul has left several members of the original team disappointed. Experienced batter Rahul Dalal, who was part of the previous squad but did not make it into the revised team, expressed his frustration while speaking to Hindustan Times.

Dalal explained that the players had already completed three rounds of the tournament and were preparing for their next fixture when the court ruling changed everything. According to him, the decision came on Friday, while the players continued their training sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

He further revealed that the squad members had no idea such a drastic change would take place so close to the match. The situation became even more surprising when they returned after Sunday's practice session and discovered that another group of players had subsequently used the same ground for training.