NEW DELHI: In a bizarre turn of events at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna, two teams, both claiming to be the Ranji Trophy squad of Bihar, showed up for a match against Mumbai.
The confusion escalated into heated exchanges and a scuffle between officials of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), leading to a delayed start of the game on Friday. The situation required intervention from local police before the match eventually commenced around 1 pm.
The team that arrived first was selected by BCA president Rakesh Tiwary and ultimately played the match. Meanwhile, secretary Amit Kumar chose the other team. Notably, neither squad named any cricketers.
Rakesh Tiwary defended his team selection, stating that it was based on merit. He mentioned the talent emerging from Bihar, including an IPL-picked cricketer and a 12-year-old prodigy making his debut. Tiwary asserted that the team chosen by the suspended secretary could not be considered the real team.
In response, Amit Kumar contested the suspension claim, emphasizing that he won the election and holds the position of the official secretary of the BCA. He questioned the president's authority to select a team and drew parallels with the BCCI, where team announcements are typically made by the secretary.
The BCA later released a statement blaming Amit for the chaos, accusing him of picking a fake team and orchestrating an attack on a board official. The statement indicated that the miscreants involved in the fake team would face consequences.
Amidst the off-field drama, the match got underway, with Mumbai putting up a score of 235 for nine on the opening day. Three Mumbai batters, Bhupen Lalwani, Suved Parkar, and Tanush Kotian, notched up fifties.
Bihar's Veer Pratap Singh stood out with figures of 4 for 32. Despite the presence of veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane, who was benched for the match, the cricketing focus was momentarily overshadowed by the administrative chaos surrounding the team selection.
(With inputs from agencies)
