The latest draft of India’s National Sports Governance Bill introduced on July 23 has carved out a notable exception for cricket’s governing body. Despite a strong push by the Supreme Court, Law Commission, and Central Information Commission to classify the BCCI as a "public authority" under the RTI Act, the amended Clause 15(2) now restricts RTI applicability to bodies that receive government grants or financial aid. As the BCCI remains independent of direct state funding, this effectively keeps it outside the RTI ambit.

In an earlier version, all national sports federations were potentially subject to RTI scrutiny, regardless of funding sources. The revised provision now stipulates that RTI applies only to utilisation of government assistance excluding the BCCI in most instances, unless infrastructure or logistic support is involved.

The bill also mandates reforms across sports bodies, including recognition as a National Sports Federation (NSF), establishment of ethics committees, and dispute resolution via a National Sports Tribunal. While aimed at enhancing accountability, these changes stop short of subjecting the BCCI to full public disclosure reflecting a delicate balancing act between governance reform and the board’s longstanding autonomy.