In Kolkata, BCCI boss may face his toughest test yet

BCCI president N Srinivasan struck a defiant pose on Saturday while in Mumbai, before heading to Kolkata for the domestic T20 league’s final to be played on Sunday. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

BCCI president N Srinivasan struck a defiant pose on Saturday while in Mumbai, before heading to Kolkata for the domestic T20 league’s final to be played on Sunday.

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His confidence may have stemmed from the dominant position he has enjoyed for a while now, but there could be some surprises in store for him after today.

According to sources, the two-day Kolkata visit will be his most challenging trip during his tenure as board president. “No one is talking openly against Srinivasan, but informal talks among members have begun,” said a board veteran from Kolkata, adding that lobbying had started against Srinivasan. “If a team owner gets arrested on allegations of betting and his team captain’s wife is pictured with a suspect, it’s natural that members will raise questions.”

The spot-fixing scandal has fast eroded Srinivasan's power equations and voices of dissent against the BCCI president are fast rising. “On moral grounds, he should step down. When the three players were caught for spot-fixing, he was vocal about it being a case of three rotten eggs. Here, we have a case of a rotten egg in his own family,” said a senior member of a state association, who will be in Kolkata at the league final.

However, the situation is not clear, as a leadership group to challenge Srinivasan’s position is yet to emerge.

The faction will not only have the onus of pushing Srinivasan off his position, but also naming a suitable substitute.