Little-known Aditya Verma and his powerful backers

The biggest of them happens to be Congress MP and one-time union minister Subodh Kant Sahai, who also happens to be the president of CAB. Busy campaigning in Ranchi for the coming elections, Sahai says that it was a long-drawn battle but it was worth the fight. “It started as a small legal fight. We stuck to it and now we seem to have won the battle,” he says. Sahai goes on to add that there is a need for the CBI inquiry to completely clean the IPL.

While he says that Srinivasan and those around him have maligned the game, there are a few BCCI members for whom he has kind words. This comes out when he was asked if Sharad Pawar, his one-time cabinet colleague and the president of Mumbai Cricket Association, could bring about a change in the working of the BCCI. “I have had a long-time association with Pawar and he is a good friend. He, along with Jagmohan Dalmiya, has done a lot for cricket. But I don’t want to comment on who should take lead. First we need to clear the mess,” says Sahai.

Reason for grouse

CAB’s grouse with the present set of BCCI officials dates back to 2007, when the Bihar state body’s appeal for recognition was rejected. Those in the know say that Srinivasan favoured the other faction who also contested for the spot and went on to win recognition. “They listened to us but didn’t take us seriously. Now Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar, has a recognised association while we don’t,” Verma had told The Indian Express last month.

But in Pawar, CAB saw hope. “Pawar saab had written to chief minister Nitish Kumar to consider the CAB’s plea for recognition in 2007. We are one of the associations from Bihar fighting for membership of the BCCI, and Pawar saab is a well-wisher of Bihar cricket,” Verma had added.

The shift of power in the BCCI has coincided with Pawar’s names cropping up once again in the cricket circles. On Thursday, when the SC observed that Srinivasan needs to step down, Pawar found a mention on his old associate and Punjab Cricket Association chief IS Bindra’s blog.

“It is not a moment for me to gloat personally, especially as the Supreme Court of India has raised questions about the BCCI, an organisation I once headed. It has raised questions about an organisation, which has seen some brilliant sports administrators like Mr NKP Salve, Raj Singh Dungarpur and Mr Sharad Pawar, Madhavrao Scindia and Shashank Manohar, at the helm,” he said.

Bindra’s praise for Pawar and Manohar, plus CAB’s obvious opposition to the Srinivasan group gives an idea about how the battles lines are currently drawn within the BCCI.