BCCI polls: Big miss for Goan cricket as Rohan is left out

Panaji: Rohan Gauns Dessai’s tenure as joint secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to end, after the Goa representative opted out of the race for the office-bearers’ post.
Dessai was tipped to continue in his post and enjoyed the support of the cricket bigwigs. However, when the window to file nomination application ended on Sunday at 4pm, his name was missing.
Instead, Prabhtej Bhatia (Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh), who was elected treasurer in January, is set to become the next joint secretary. For the third consecutive time since 2019, there will be no contest for any post at the BCCI.
“What happened in the last few days (before and after elections in the state) is uncalled for,” Dessai told TOI on Sunday. “Everything was done against the interest of Goan cricket. It’s not against an individual.”
Dessai had to fight within and outside the Goa Cricket Association to become Goa’s nominated representative for BCCI annual general body meeting, where five key office-bearers were to be elected.
Between the nomination battle and the final electoral roll being announced, Dessai’s panel lost elections to the GCA managing committee 6-0, against a group backed by four former presidents -- Chetan Dessai, Vinod Phadke, his son Vipul, and Suraj Lotlikar.
When the GCA did not send any name, five members approached the Bombay high court, and after an emergent meeting, Dessai was eventually nominated by the majority group (5-2). Expectedly, there was objection filed by GCA president Vipul Phadke, which electoral officer AK Joti – former Election Commissioner of India – termed as “not legally tenable.”
Dessai’s name was included in the final electoral roll, prompting Phadke to file a writ petition.
“When the final electoral roll was published, they (opposing group in Goa) filed a writ petition against the electoral officer. It sent a wrong message to the BCCI. In the end, it’s not Rohan who is harmed, it’s Goan cricket,” said Dessai.
Before Dessai, only two GCA administrators – Prashant Joshi and Dayanand Narvekar – had made it to the BCCI, both as vice presidents.
“I have no regrets,” said Dessai. “In the GCA, I tried to fight for transparency, for development of Goan cricket, but I could not pull it off. I wish the best to the new committee.”
Dessai took over as BCCI joint secretary in March this year, after the post became vacant as Devajit Saikia was elevated as the secretary, following Jay Shah's appointment as ICC Chairman.
For the third consecutive time since 2019, when Jay Shah first became secretary, there will be no contest for any BCCI post. All office-bearers will be elected unopposed at the AGM in Mumbai on Sunday.