Budding cricketers of the cricket-starved state hope to take apart in Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments in the country in wake of the Supreme Court approving the RM Lodha Commission recommendations.
They suggest full membership to Bihar in the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) and voting rights to the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA).
After the bifurcation of Bihar in 2000, former chief minister Lalu Prasad formed BCA in Patna in 2001, while the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) was created the same year. But to the dismay of BCA, then BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya recognised JSCA and withdrew BCA's affiliation with BCCI.
Many players were left with no other opportunity but to move to other states to shape their careers.
Ishan Kishan, who was named captain of the India Under-19 Cricket World Cup squad in 2016, hails from Patna, but plays for domestic cricket for Jharkhand since Bihar does not have a cricket association.
Like Ishan, there are many more cricketers from Bihar, who play for other states, claim that playing cricket in other states is a big challenge for them. Eshaan Ravi (25), a Kankerbagh boy, is part of the 25-member Assam Ranji team. Eshaan said: "Playing cricket from other state is big challenge for us, as there is no transparency in selection and even the respective Ranji team gives preference to players from their native state."
Ishan, who has represented the east zone in Vizzy Trophy claimed that Supreme Court just granting BCA voting rights and full membership was not going to work unless the BCCI boosted cricket in Bihar.
Vizzy Trophy is an inter-zonal varsity tournament, which has produced cricketing giants like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin.
Eshaan said: "The only cricket stadium in Patna, Moin-ul-Haq, is in poor state. The stadium must be renovated."
However, people who fought long to get voting rights and full membership for cricket associations, are optimistic. Aditya Verma, the original petitioner in this cricket overhaul case, told The Telegraph from New Delhi: "I have been pressing for CAB's recognition and this is my triumph. Budding cricketers from Bihar had been denied their rights.
