Liquor seized from Saurashtra cricketers headed to Gujarat from Chandigarh

A sizeable amount of liquor was sized from Under-23 cricketers of the Saurashtra cricket team who were travelling back to Gujarat from Chandigarh. This prompted the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA), which is part of Gujarat, to swing into action as alcohol is banned in the state.

The incident occurred after the Saurashtra team travelled to Chandigarh for their Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy, U-23 Multi-Day Tournament match against Chandigarh between January 21 and 24. The match ended on January 24 and was won by Saurashtra by nine wickets.

On January 25, when they were returning from Chandigarh, a sizeable amount of liquor was detected in the cargo area of the plane that the cricketers were to board. The liquor was subsequently seized by authorities at the Chandigarh Airport.

However, it was not until Monday, January 29 that the SCA decided to investigate the matter and launched a disciplinary probe. "There has been an alleged incident at Chandigarh that was brought to the notice of Saurashtra Cricket Association," said the SCA in a statement.

"The alleged incident is unfortunate and intolerable. Ethics/Disciplinary Committee & Apex Council of Saurashtra Cricket Association to make in-depth examine of the incident and shall take proper disciplinary action," it added.

The Saurashtra Under-23 cricket team is currently in action against Tripura Under-23 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium Ground C in Rajkot.

Can anyone carry alcohol in Gujarat?

Recently, pictures of Australian players celebrating their Cricket World Cup win with champagne bottles went viral on the internet and people were left befuddled as to how someone can carry alcohol in a dry state like Gujarat. However, it is interesting to note that the state government issues permits for visitors who can purchase alcohol from its dedicated outlets.

How is Saurashtra a different cricket team than Gujarat?

Before independence, princely states played cricket under the aegis of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It was during those times that places like Saurashtra, Baroda and Hyderabad became integral members of the board and have since continued to remain independent from their state teams.

Saurashtra, which was known briefly as Nawangar, Kathiawar and Western India Cricket Association, adopted its current name only in 1950. They are the current Ranji Trophy champions and in the Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy 2023-24, they are at the top of the Elite Group C points table. Gujarat and Baroda are the two other teams that represent Gujarat in domestic cricket.

However, when it comes to voting rights in BCCI's Annual General Meetings or elections, it is rotated between the three teams one by one as per the Lodha Committee recommendation of each state having a single vote in BCCI.