New Delhi: In a landmark move that could end decades of special treatment for Indian cricket’s richest body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will now fall under the ambit of the draft National Sports Governance Bill, 2025.
Confirmed by top sources in the Sports Ministry on Tuesday, this development signals the beginning of a more accountable and potentially taxable regime for the BCCI, which has long operated outside the government’s regulatory and financial purview.
For years, the BCCI has enjoyed exceptional autonomy by virtue of not accepting state funding—allowing it to escape regulatory scrutiny and avoid classification as a public authority. But with India eyeing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and possibly bidding for the 2036 Games, the government has now moved decisively to bring cricket under the national sports governance framework.
The bill, unveiled on July 22, promises to usher in sweeping reforms across all National Sports Federations (NSFs), with transparency, athlete-first policies, and fiscal accountability at its core. Crucially, the legislation will now compel the BCCI to disclose financial transactions under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005—a demand long resisted by cricket’s governing elite.
Legal experts say this paves the way for more transferable income records and tax scrutiny for the BCCI. “Once you come under a central statute, you can no longer claim exemption from scrutiny or from taxation that applies to other bodies handling public interest,” a senior tax official said. “This move significantly weakens the BCCI’s longstanding defence of being just an entertainment provider rather than a public sports body.”
The draft bill also establishes a National Sports Board (NSB)—an empowered central body that will oversee recognition, governance, and funding of all sports federations. This takes away direct administrative control from the Sports Ministry and aims to professionalise sports governance through an autonomous structure. For the BCCI, this means it may no longer function as a law unto itself—particularly in matters of team selection, disciplinary action, and even internal elections.
One of the major provisions affecting the BCCI is the revised age cap for office-bearers. The new limit of 70 years could affect the future of several cricket administrators, although a conditional clause permits individuals up to 75 years to serve full terms, depending on international charters. This opens the door for BCCI president Roger Binny—who just turned 70—to seek another term, provided the international cricket framework allows it.
The bill also mandates inclusion of athletes in all decision-making committees—an unprecedented shift for the BCCI, where former players have traditionally held ceremonial or symbolic roles rather than policymaking authority.
Additionally, a National Sports Tribunal will now handle all sports-related disputes—ensuring faster resolution and minimal legal wrangling. If any sports body, including the BCCI, is derecognised or suspended, the NSB can appoint an ad-hoc committee to manage critical functions, ensuring continuity of sport.
While the BCCI has not officially responded, sources indicate internal discussions are underway on the implications of coming under RTI and broader government oversight. What is clear is that this bill could finally strip cricket of its regulatory immunity, forcing the BCCI to open its books and submit to the kind of financial discipline long demanded by taxpayers and transparency advocates.
For a body that has operated in the shadows of commercial might and political insulation, the draft National Sports Bill could be the first serious attempt at levelling the playing field—financially, legally, and ethically.
