The 95th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was held on September 18, 2026, at BCCI HQ, in Mumbai.

In all, ten crucial decisions were taken at the meeting on Friday, where key board members marked their attendance. The meeting was chaired by the BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, while President Mithun Manhas, Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia and Treasurer Raghuram Bhat were also among the notable names present.

At the meeting, all the present board members gave a green signal for a discussion for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL)’s 2027 edition. The BCCI has come to a decision that the upcoming season of the cash-rich tournament will be celebrated in a grand fashion as the league enters its twentieth season.

The key decisions made at BCCI’s 95th AGM are as under:

1. The following 2 (two) representatives of the General Body were elected and inducted in the Governing Council of the IPL: (a) Arun Singh Dhumal and (b) M Khairul Jamal Majumdar.

2. The audited statement of accounts of BCCI for FY 2025-26 was adopted by the General Body.

3. The Annual Budget of FY 2026-27 was approved by the General Body.

4. The Auditors for FY 2026-27 were appointed.

5. The General Body unanimously took a call to celebrate the upcoming 20th edition of IPL in 2027 in a grand way.

6. The General Body has initiated the process for the BCCI centenary celebrations in 2028. The centenary will be celebrated through a year-long programme, commencing in December 2027 and continuing through 2028, marking a landmark milestone in the history of Indian Cricket.

7. The General Body unanimously approved the enhanced payment structure for umpires and match referees and reclassification of the grades.

8. The new Internal Committee of BCCI was formed under the BCCI’s Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy.

9. The BCCI Age Verification Policy was updated and adopted.

10. The General Body discussed with the State Units measures to support differently-abled cricketers, including appropriate facilities and resources to promote their development and progress.

The European T20 Premier League (ETPL), Europe’s first ICC-approved franchise T20 competition, has officially opened ticket sales for its historic inaugural season and announced Tixr as its Official Ticketing Partner. Fans can now secure their seats for Europe’s newest cricket spectacle, with tickets available exclusively through Tixr.

The inaugural ETPL season will run from 26 August to 20 September 2026, bringing together six city-based franchises and some of the biggest names in world cricket across two iconic venues – Voorburg in the Netherlands and Malahide in Ireland.

History will be made on 26 August when Rotterdam Dockers take on Amsterdam Flames in the first-ever match in ETPL history.

Voorburg will host the opening phase of the competition before the action moves to Malahide for the remainder of the league stage, culminating in the Qualifier and the inaugural Final.The opening week will also feature an all-Irish clash as Belfast Wolves take on Dublin Guardians on the morning of 27 August, followed later that day by an all-Scottish derby between Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Glasgow Cosmic. Played in a double round-robin format, each franchise will face every other team twice.

The league leaders will progress directly to the Final, while the second and third-placed teams will contest the Qualifier for the remaining championship berth. Bringing together global T20 stars alongside leading players from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, ETPL promises a month of world-class cricket while accelerating the growth of the sport across Europe.

Ahead of the inaugural season, ETPL has appointed Tixr as its Official Ticketing Partner under a multi-year agreement. As the league’s exclusive primary ticketing platform, Tixr will deliver a seamless, mobile-first ticketing experience, making it easier than ever for fans to discover, purchase and access matches throughout the tournament.

Priyanka Kaul, Co-Founder, ETPL, said,”The opening of ticket sales marks the moment ETPL belongs to the fans. For the first time, Europe has its own franchise cricket league, and supporters can be part of sporting history from the very first ball. We believe ETPL has the power to transform the cricket landscape across Europe by inspiring a new generation of players, creating lifelong fan communities and firmly placing Europe on the global cricket calendar.”

Wayne Grierson, Managing Director, UK & EMEA at Tixr, said,“ETPL is exactly the kind of forward-thinking sporting property that aligns with Tixr’s vision of transforming the ticketing experience. Today’s fans expect greater flexibility, convenience and control, and we’re excited to help deliver a seamless journey from ticket purchase to matchday for supporters throughout the inaugural season.”

The partnership will also provide ETPL with valuable insights into fan engagement and purchasing behaviour, helping the league continue to elevate the matchday experience in the years ahead. With the fixtures confirmed and tickets now on sale, the countdown to Europe’s newest franchise cricket league is officially underway. Fans can now secure their place and be part of a landmark moment in European cricket history.

Kashi Rudras completed their squad for Season 4 following the UPT20 Player Auction in Agra on Friday, July 24. The team added six players to their retained core as they prepare to defend their title. 

After retaining 12 players ahead of the auction, Kashi Rudras brought in Mohammad Sharim, Vaibhav Choudhary, Vijay Yadav, Virat Jaiswal, Manav Sindhu and Sahab Yuvraj Singh to complete their 18-member squad for the upcoming season.

Among the new additions, all-rounder Mohammad Sharim emerged as the franchise’s biggest signing at ₹17.50 lakh.

The squad was further strengthened with the arrival of bowler Vaibhav Choudhary, all-rounders Vijay Yadav and Virat Jaiswal, along with batters Manav Sindhu and Sahab Yuvraj Singh, giving the reigning champions added depth across departments.

Speaking after the auction, Sukhvinder Singh, Kashi Rudras representative, said,

“We have been able to add the firepower we wanted and tick the boxes we had planned going into the auction. Every season brings new challenges, and while we’ve been fortunate enough to win the title twice, we have to give our best. It’s a hardworking bunch of boys and we’re excited to see what they can achieve together as a group.”

While preparing for the new season, Kashi Rudras also took another step towards strengthening grassroots cricket with the launch of the Rudras Cup, the first regional scouting tournament of its kind by a UPT20 franchise.

The initiative, along with the franchise’s extensive player trials, gave aspiring cricketers another opportunity to showcase their talent in front of the Kashi Rudras scouting team and further strengthened the pathway for emerging players to progress to the franchise setup.

Having assembled their squad, the two-time champions will now turn their attention to preparing for the season ahead. 

Retained Players

Karan Sharma, Abhishek Goswami, Upendra Yadav, Atal Bihari Rai, Shubham Chaubey, Kartik Yadav, Sunil Kumar, Saksham Rai, Uvais Ahmad, Rishabh Rajput, Deepanshu Yadav, Arnav Baliyan

Auction Signings

• Mohammad Sharim – All-rounder – ₹17.50 lakh
• Vaibhav Choudhary –  Bowler – ₹5 lakh
• Vijay Yadav – All-rounder –  ₹5.20 lakh
• Virat Jaiswal – All-rounder – ₹2.50 lakh
• Manav Sindhu – Batter – ₹3.50 lakh
• Sahab Yuvraj Singh – Batter – ₹3.50 lakh

Kashi Rudras, UPT20 Season 4: Full Squad

Karan Sharma (Captain), Abhishek Goswami, Upendra Yadav, Atal Bihari Rai, Shubham Chaubey, Kartik Yadav, Sunil Kumar, Saksham Rai, Uvais Ahmad, Rishabh Rajput, Deepanshu Yadav, Arnav Baliyan, Mohammad Sharim, Vaibhav Choudhary, Vijay Yadav, Virat Jaiswal, Manav Sindhu, Sahab Yuvraj Singh