AIFF draws anger for confusing Executive committee members with a notice in the morning and a call for a Zoom meeting in the evening on the same day!
A major section of the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) are reportedly angry with the Federation’s top brass after creating an utmost confusion with two emergent notices, one in the morning and the other in the evening for a zoom-meeting on the same day on Wednesday! Executive Committee members are not only angry with such whimsical behavior from their their top-brass, they seem to be extremely frustrated for not being given sufficient time to respond. The Executive Committee members were scheduled to have a meeting as they received e-mails where the AIFF top-brass sought suggestions from them on alternative plans to organize the ISL. A letter from AIFF’s Deputy Secretary General, M. Satyanarayan, had been circulated earlier in the day, inviting written feedback by 5 pm. But on the same evening, barely half an hour before the deadline, another email was sent, replacing the written response with a hastily scheduled Zoom meeting at 7 pm. Some members who received the message even later, expressed more displeasure. According to report published by The Sportstar, M. Satyanarayan wrote, “As you may be aware, Hon’ble Justice L.N Rao (Retired. Supreme Court Judge) is expected to submit his report on the All India Football Federation’s Request for Qualification (RFQ), prepared by KPMG, for the selection of a commercial partner to manage and monetize AIFF’s commercial rights for a defined period. While the matter remains under consideration of the Honourable Supreme Court, it is likely that once Justice Rao’s report is submitted and the matter is mentioned by AIFF, the Court may seek clarification regarding any alternate plan that AIFF has to organize and manage the ISL in accordance with its Constitution. In this context, we seek your valuable views and suggestions.” The AIFF had earlier floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a commercial partner for the ISL for 15 years, offering rights worth ₹37.4 crore annually. The new arrangement was to begin after the current agreement with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) expires in December 2025. But after the extended deadline closed on November 7 (5 p.m.), the federation received no bids. The Bid Evaluation Committee, chaired by Justice Rao, met on Sunday and is now expected to submit its report to the Supreme Court, i “While the matter remains under consideration of the Honourable Supreme Court, it is likely that once Justice Rao’s report is submitted and the matter is mentioned by AIFF, the Court may seek clarification regarding any alternate plan that AIFF has to organise and manage the ISL in accordance with its Constitution. In this context, we seek your valuable views and suggestions.” The AIFF had earlier floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a commercial partner for the ISL for 15 years, offering rights worth ₹37.4 crore annually. The new arrangement was to begin after the current agreement with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) expires in December 2025. But after the extended deadline closed on November 7 (5 p.m.), the federation received no bids. The Bid Evaluation Committee, chaired by Justice Rao, met on Sunday and is now expected to submit its report to the Supreme Court, incorporating inputs from the ExCo. Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, Executive Commitee members declined to comment on the ISL’s future. However, the sudden letter, landing hardly two hours before the scheduled discussion, caused visible discontent within the federation. The Federation is not united anymore. We don’t really know what the future of ISL and I-League will be,” an AIFF official told Sportstar on condition of anonymity. “Though there has been a lot of talk going on, there has been no clarity, no written documents. Most Executive Committee members have not been kept in the loop. I don’t want the AIFF to continue like this.”
Rohit Sharma likely to play for Mumbai in Vijay Hazare Trophy and SMAT knockouts
Rohit Sharma is set to make himself available for the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) group stage, which will be held between 24th December and 8th January 8 as well as in the knock-out stage of the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), provided Mumbai qualify. Mumbai has been placed in Group C, alongside Maharashtra, Punjab, and Goa, among others, and will play its fixtures in Jaipur in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already issued a mandatory circular instructing that the cricketers must feature in domestic cricket when not on national duty. Mumbai cricket’s chief selector Sanjay Patil, however, has not yet received official confirmation about Rohit’s decision to play in VHT. While speaking to The Sportstar, he said, “Formally, I have not heard anything from Rohit yet. But I will be more than happy if he plays for Mumbai. It will be a huge gain for us.” The Mushtaq Ali Trophy group league matches are scheduled to be held on 26th November and 8th December, while the knockout stage is scheduled to be held in Indore from 12th to 18th December. During the group stage, India will be busy in a three-match ODI series against South Africa. Earlier this year, following the BCCI instruction, both Rohit and Virat Kohli featured in a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai and Delhi, respectively. The pair is currently active only in ODIs. Now, with both wanting to continue till the 2027 ODI World Cup, they need to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy regularly, and Patil believes that if players of Rohit and Virat’s quality feature in the domestic tournaments, the teams will benefit. “They are role models for the young cricketers, so it would be wonderful if they played. It will boost the morale and motivate the youngsters if they get to share the dressing room with such players,” Patil added. Patil also expressed gratitude, concluding, “Thanks to the BCCI for taking such an initiative, because if Rohit plays, youngsters like Ayush Mhatre and Musheer Khan can pick his brains and also follow his footsteps, which will be a big thing for the game.”
BCCI tells Kohli, Rohit to play domestic one-day matches to keep chances alive for India ODI team
If two of India’s recent cricket icons have to stay in the team, they will have to go through the domestic grind. This is the message from the Indian board for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Both stepped down from Tests and T20 Internationals in 2024, but continue to play for India in One-Day Internationals. The first step in this direction could possibly be a Vijay Hazare Trophy game on December 24. This is the only one-day game on the domestic calendar between the three-ODI series against South Africa from December 3-9 and another one against New Zealand from January 11, both at home. According to The Indian Express, Rohit has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he will be available to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but there is no clarity yet on Virat’s availability. Kohli (37) and Rohit (38) last featured in the ODI series in Australia last month, where they went on to join hands for a winning partnership in the final game. While Rohit starred in two of the three games, hitting a hundred in the third match, Kohli bounced back from two ducks to hit an unbeaten 87. “The board and team management have conveyed to both of them that they will have to play domestic cricket if they want to play for India. As they both have retired from two formats, they have to play domestic cricket to be match-fit,” sources in the board told The Indian Express. Rohit and Kohli retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup, and called time on their Test careers after the 2024-25 tour of Australia. Rohit is learnt to have informed the MCA that he might even be available for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament scheduled to start on November 26. He has been practising at Mumbai’s Sharad Pawar indoor academy. The Indian board is also hoping to see Kohli, who lives in London these days, play domestic cricket.
