Indian cricket is once again grappling with the issue of real age fraud, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has imposed a two-year ban on Odisha’s all-rounder, Sumit Sharma.
The BCCI disciplinary committee took this action after discovering that Sumit Sharma had presented multiple fake age certificates.
Who is Odisha cricketer Sumit Sharma banned by BCCI for two years due to him hiding his real age
BCCI bans Odisha cricketer Sumit Sharma for two years due to multiple birth certificates produced in his career. pic.twitter.com/oLi3mUOP6J
— Parmar Ruturaj (@Ruturaj9Ruturaj) January 5, 2024
1.Odisha Senior Mens Cricket Player, Sumit Sharma has been disqualified by BCCI to play in BCCI Domestic tournament for 2 years
2. Details information 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/fpLloAP1mU
— journalist jagabandhu Sahoo🇮🇳 (@JournalistJaga1) January 4, 2024
The player, who was initially included in the Odisha squad for the Ranji Trophy 2023-24, has now been barred from participating in any domestic cricket tournaments for the next two years.
Sumit Sharma faced charges of providing two different age certificates, with the discrepancy between the one submitted for the Odisha cricket team and the one he had presented in the 2015-16 season.
Despite his inclusion in the squad, all-rounder Sumit Sharma traveled to Vadodara to play in Odisha’s tournament opener against Baroda, which marked the commencement of the Ranji Trophy 2024.
Sumit Sharma Replaced by Tarini
In response to the ban, Odisha’s senior selection committee has replaced Sumit Sharma with Tarini Sa for the match against Baroda at Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara.
The BCCI has taken a firm stance against age fraud, implementing stringent bans on players to deter such practices. Previous instances have prompted the board to act decisively in this regard.
OCA secretary Sanjay Behera, in a press statement, declared, “Sumit Sharma, a player of Odisha Senior Men’s Team, has been disqualified by the BCCI to play in the BCCI Domestic Tournaments for 2 years as he has produced multiple age certificates.
“The certificates produced by him when he played at the junior level in the year 2015-16 do not match with the ones he produced for the current season.” The 89th edition of the Ranji Trophy is set to kick off with 38 teams playing their opening games on January 5th.
Odisha is scheduled to face Baroda in the group D encounter, along with Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, and Uttarakhand.
The previous edition of the Ranji Trophy saw Saurashtra emerge victorious over Bengal in the finals at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The finals for the upcoming season are slated for February 11, 2024, with the venue yet to be decided. A total of 138 matches will be played in the Ranji Trophy 2023-25 season.