TOISA 2025: Rajiv Shukla applauds Times of India after BCCI named ‘Federation of the Year’

LUCKNOW: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was honoured as the ‘Federation of the Year’ at the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2025 on Saturday, capping off a year of administrative consistency and global dominance.

BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla accepted the award on behalf of the board during the gala event in Lucknow, which recognized excellence across 45 sporting categories for the 2025 evaluation period.The recognition comes on the back of a relentless calendar where the BCCI managed high-stakes ICC events, bilateral series, and a robust domestic structure for both men’s and women’s cricket. The jury, featuring legends like Abhinav Bindra, Mithali Raj, and PR Sreejesh, acknowledged the board’s role in maintaining operations at a massive scale while fostering player pathways that keep India at the pinnacle of world cricket.

In his acceptance speech, Shukla took the opportunity to address a significant point raised by the Uttar Pradesh administration regarding the expansion of domestic cricket.Addressing the demand for more representation from India’s most populous state, Shukla clarified the legal constraints involved in creating new state units."The BCCI has received the award for Best Sports Federation. Today, I would like to clarify one point regarding what the Chief Minister had mentioned earlier," Shukla stated.

"The Chief Minister had said that Uttar Pradesh is such a large state that it should have four Ranji teams, so that more players can get opportunities. However, the challenge we face is that the Supreme Court has already settled this matter. It has clearly stated that there can be only one cricket association per state, except in cases where multiple associations already existed historically."Shukla cited existing exceptions like Gujarat and Maharashtra but noted that the current legal framework prevents the fragmentation of newer associations. "For example, Gujarat has three associations, Andhra Pradesh has two... and Maharashtra has multiple associations such as the Mumbai Cricket Association, Maharashtra Cricket Association, and Vidarbha. Apart from such exceptions, the rule remains the same. A new association can only be formed only if a state is divided," he explained.To bypass these limitations and ensure young talent in Uttar Pradesh does not go unnoticed, Shukla highlighted the success of the UP T20 League. "This creates a significant limitation... we ourselves want more opportunities for young players, we are bound by the Supreme Court’s directive. To address this, we discussed the matter with the Chief Minister and subsequently launched the UP T20 League, which provides opportunities to around 200 players," he added.Closing his address, Shukla lauded the TOISA platform for its role in the Indian sporting ecosystem. "Once again, I would like to thank The Times of India for organising these awards. It is wonderful to see so many talented individuals here. Their achievements are truly extraordinary, and it is important that they are recognised," he concluded.