The Birth of BCCI
The game of cricket was introduced to the Indian subcontinent by European sailors during the first half of the 18th century. The first documented cricket match in India was played in 1751 between the British Army and Settlers. The Parsis were the first Indian community to adopt cricket as a sport, establishing the Oriental Cricket Club in 1848, followed by the Hindu Gymkhana sports club in 1886.
In 1912, a cricket team from India visited England for the first time, sponsored and captained by the Maharaja of Patiala. The Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC), now known as the International Cricket Council, held a series of meetings in London, which were attended by representatives from the Calcutta Cricket Club. The result of these meetings was a decision to send a team, led by Arthur Gilligan, the then captain of the English team, to India.
Arthur Gilligan met with the Maharaja of Patiala, who promised to push for India's inclusion in the ICC if all cricket promoters in India united to form a single governing body. This led to a meeting in Delhi, attended by delegates from various provinces and princely states such as Patiala, Delhi, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, Rajputana, Alwar, Bhopal, Gwalior, Baroda, Kathiawar, Central Provinces and Berar, Sindh, and Punjab.
The delegates unanimously agreed to establish a controlling body for cricket in India, leading to the formation of the BCCI on December 10, 1928. R.E. Grant Govan was elected as its first president, and Anthony de Mello became its secretary.
The BCCI launched the Ranji Trophy, India's premier first-class cricket championship, in 1936. Named after K.S. Ranjitsinhji, the first Indian to play international cricket, the Ranji Trophy marked a significant milestone in the history of Indian cricket. After India's independence, the BCCI organized numerous tournaments both domestically and internationally. The Indian cricket team's first international tour post-independence was to England in 1952.
Organizational Structure of the BCCI
The governing body of the BCCI includes the following positions:
- President
- Five Vice-Presidents, one from each zone
- Honorary Secretary
- An Honorary Joint Secretary
- An Honorary Treasurer
The Working Committee manages the day-to-day affairs of the BCCI, with the President acting as the official leader. The secretary operates the board's bank accounts and is the sole signatory. In recent years, the Supreme Court of India appointed the Lodha Panel to propose changes to the board's organizational structure, but these recommendations have yet to be implemented.
BCCI's Revenue Generation
As an autonomous body, the BCCI's financial matters are not subject to public scrutiny. It does not receive any government grants or financial assistance, and therefore, it is not considered a public authority under the RTI Act, 2005. However, the BCCI does require government approval for sending the Indian team on foreign tours or inviting foreign teams to India.
The BCCI's revenue comes primarily from the following sources:
- Broadcasting rights
- Merchandising
- Advertisement sales
- Sponsorships
- Donations
Due to cricket's immense popularity and the rise of media, the BCCI has been able to generate substantial revenue for the Indian cricket team. For instance, Air Sahara sponsored the team for four years with a contract worth INR 475 crore.
Presidents of BCCI
The following table lists all the Presidents of the BCCI from its inception in 1928 to the present:
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