SC rejects partially-sighted professional cricketer's plea on IPL participation

The Supreme Court recently dismissed a petition filed by a partially-sighted professional cricketer, seeking a direction to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to include him in the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi dismissed the petition filed by Ratendra Singh Jayara, after noting that the petition is devoid of merits.

"Having heard learned counsel for the petitioner (Ratendra Singh Jayara) and upon perusing the relevant material, we are not inclined to entertain the present writ petition. The same is accordingly dismissed," a bench of the top court, also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Deepak Gupta said in its order and dismissed the petition.

Jayara, a partially sighted cricketer from Uttar Pradesh had moved the apex court seeking a direction to the BCCI to include him in the ongoing IPL 2019.

The petitioner said he participated in seven national level blind cricket tournaments in India organised by Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and other non-governmental organisations representing Uttar Pradesh and India Red team as a B3 category player.

Jayara knocked the doors of the apex court after he was denied participation in the 2018 IPL edition.

In the seven-page petition accessed by ANI, Jayara claimed that he was denied playing in IPL 2018, which had resulted in infringement of his fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

He, in his petition, also claimed that he had participated in two national level Para athletics championship organised by the Paralympic Committee of India representing Uttar Pradesh as a T13 category player.

Jayara had approached the BCCI to include him in IPL 2018 as a partially sighted cricketer, giving reference to the Rights of Person with Disability Act 2016 which states equal opportunity, but the BCCI did not include him, he claimed.

Citing that India is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (UNCRPD) Treaty, Jayara said that he should be included in the IPL. However, he was denied permission to play.

The petitioner also gave reference to the Fundamental Right laid down in the Constitution of India, 'The Right to Equality' for his inclusion in the IPL.

If the petitioner is capable of playing cricket despite having visual impairment then the petitioner must be included by the IPL because the Rights of Person with Disability Act 2016 and the fundamental Right to Equality emphasise on the participation of persons with disabilities in mainstream sports activities, Jayara stated in his petition.