Rajasthan Cricket Association
- President** Amin Pathan
The Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), headquartered in Jaipur, administers the game of cricket in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It officiates over the state level cricket in Rajasthan and the Rajasthan cricket team. It selects the cricket team of the state of Rajasthan to play in Indian first class cricket namely Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy. It is headed by CP Joshi. The Rajasthan Cricket Association is officially recognized and affiliated to Board for Control of Cricket in India.
Formerly known as Rajputana, the Association was renamed as Rajasthan Cricket Association after the formation of the State of Rajasthan in 1956. Headed by Bhagwat Singh Mewar till 1972, it was controlled by the Rungta family from 1972 till 2004. Promuulgation of a Sports legislation by the Government of Rajasthan resulted in Lalit Modi beating Rungta in the first contested election ever in 2005. Lalit Modi in turn was defeated by a career bureaucrat, Sanjay Dixit in 2009. Presently, the Association has CP Joshi as President and Sanjay Dixit as the Secretary General.
After the defeat of Lalit Modi in 2009 and Sanjay Dixit coming to administer the cricket and its operations, many innovations have been implemented. The background of Sanjay Dixit as an administrator and his academic qualifications as a marine engineer, masters in economics, software and a post-graduate degree in law have meant that he has been able to wed technology and administrative best practices with cricket operations and selection processes. Forbes India carried a detailed account of the changes brought about by Sanjay Dixit which helped transform the cricketing scene in Rajasthan. Rajasthan Cricket Association created history in 2011 when its Team Rajasthan won the Ranji Trophy for the first time in the 77-year history of the tournament by beating Baroda on 15 January 2011 at Vadodara.
Ranji Championship
Rajasthan had always been a formidable team in the domestic championships. Under the patronage of the erstwhile rulers of the rajputana states both in pre-independence and even at times after that, Rajasthan team always did well in Ranji trophy.
Golden Era 1960's
Rajasthan cricket was headed by Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar and Udaipur was hub of cricket with prolific cricketers like Saleem Durrani often in rajasthan blazers.
Championships 2010, 2011
Rajasthan team etched their name on the Ranji Trophy, shutting Baroda out after taking the first-innings lead with a clinical display that didn't give an inch to the hosts on the final day. It capped an improbable season for Rajasthan, who rose from being last year's bottom-placed team in the Plate League to become Ranji champions in their ninth appearance in the final. Rajasthan’s strength this season has been their ability to bat big, and today it was the lower order that batted Baroda into helpless disappointment. Apart from some brilliant performances from players, the credit for the success also goes to Rajasthan Cricket Association, particularly its secretary Sanjay Dixit.
Rajasthan 394 (Bist 77, Kanitkar 61, Bhatt 5-103) and 341 (Menaria 101, Parida 89, Vahora 4-94) drew withBaroda 361 (Pinal 77, Chahar 4-79) and 28 for 4 (Chahar 3-15)