Tail wagging the dog: Supreme Court on BCCI's pervasive control over cricket in India
The Supreme Court on Thursday remarked that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s pervasive control over the popular sport is now statutorily recognized.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the remark during the hearing of a plea seeking directions to restrain the BCCI from referring to the national cricket team as the Indian cricket team.
The argument before the bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant was that BCCI is a private entity registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act and is not a statutory body or State within the meaning of Article 12 of the Indian Constitution.
Commenting on the institutional nature of BCCI, Justice Bagchi remarked that it was akin to the tail wagging the dog
"Issue would have been if union came here but there is exemplary support for them. The pervasive control is statutorily recognised now. The issue is sometimes tail is wagging the dogs since there is money involved," the judge said.
However, the plea was ultimately dismissed as the Court pulled up the petitioner for the filing a plea it termed 'frivolous', and warned of imposition of heavy costs on him.
"You just start sitting at home and draft petitions. What is the problem in all of this ? There is a notification for National sports tribunal also with outstanding members. Don't burden the Court," CJI Kant remarked during the hearing.
In October 2025, the Delhi High Court too had pulled up the petitioner, advocate Reepak Kansal, for filing the public interest litigation (PIL).
"Are you saying the team doesn’t represent India? This team, which is going everywhere and representing India, you are saying they don’t represent India?. Is it not Team India? If it is not Team India, please tell us why is it not Team India," Justice Tushar Rao Gedela remarked.
Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya said that PIL was a sheer wastage of the court's time.
"It is sheer wastage of the court’s time and your own time... Tell us about a national team, in a single sport which is selected by the government officials. Whether the Indian contingent taking part in the Commonwealth Games, Olympics... Are they selected by the government officials? Do they not represent India? Hockey, football, tennis, anything, any sport," the High Court remarked.
The PIL filed by Kansal said that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has clarified through multiple Right to Information (RTI) replies that the BCCI is not recognised as a National Sports Federation (NSF) nor supported financially by the government as one.
Despite this, government media platforms continue to refer to the BCCI cricket team as “Team India” or the “Indian National Team” and use Indian national symbols such as the flag during cricket broadcasts, the plea alleged.