DDCA’s litigation bill hits historic high

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), the governing body for cricket in the Capital, spent more than Rs 10 crore on litigation and related expenses in 2024–25 — the highest such outgo in its 95-year history.

According to the DDCA’s 2024–25 balance sheet, the association incurred Rs 10.62 crore on legal expenses, retainership fees, and professional charges. Of this, Rs 7.40 crore was spent specifically on litigation, while retainership and professional fees together accounted for Rs 3.22 crore.

In comparison, the corresponding figure for 2023–24 stood at Rs 7.15 crore, as per the balance sheet published on the DDCA’s official website.

Overall finances improve

Despite the sharp rise in legal expenditure, the DDCA’s overall financial position strengthened during the year. The association reported a total income of Rs 208.80 crore in 2024–25, up from Rs 136.59 crore in the previous financial year.

The surplus for the year rose to Rs 55.98 crore, compared with Rs 47.13 crore in 2023–24.

As of March 31, 2025, the DDCA’s net worth stood at Rs 348.76 crore — an increase of Rs 82.72 crore over the previous year, when it was Rs 266.03 crore.

Sources of income

The largest source of income for the DDCA during 2024–25 was the subvention received from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), amounting to Rs 115 crore.

Other major revenue streams included earnings from the inaugural edition of the T20 Delhi Premier League (Rs 59.94 crore), hosted in August–September 2024, and interest income from fixed deposits held with banks, which stood at Rs 7.09 crore.

Among the notable expenditures during the year was spending on the Delhi Premier League, which totalled Rs 54.57 crore.

Legal costs over time

The DDCA’s legal and professional expenses have risen steadily over the decades. In 1990–91, this expenditure stood at Rs 43,677.20.

Over the past decade, the figure has increased more than sixfold. In 2014-15, legal and professional expenses amounted to Rs 1.68 crore. By 2024-25, this had climbed to Rs 10.62 crore.

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In the last five years alone, litigation-related spending has fluctuated but remained elevated. The expenditure was Rs 2.25 crore in 2020–21, rose to Rs 4.61 crore in 2021–22, declined to Rs 3.83 crore in 2022–23, and then surged to Rs 7.15 crore in 2023–24.

Other associations

In contrast, other State cricket associations reported significantly lower legal expenses. The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association spent Rs 25 lakh on legal bills in 2024–25, while Karnataka reported an expenditure of Rs 35.84 lakh.

For earlier years, Mumbai’s legal expenses stood at Rs 1.42 crore in 2022–23, while Hyderabad spent Rs 1.79 crore during the same period. The 2024–25 balance sheets of these associations are not available on their official websites.

Pending cases

In their report, the DDCA auditors noted multiple pending cases. “There are various labour and other miscellaneous cases pending against the DDCA in various courts. It is impracticable to disclose the details of such cases and further, the amount involved in these cases is either not quantifiable or cannot be reliably estimated,” the auditors stated.

The association is also involved in ongoing litigation and appeals related to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Income Tax Department, and GST.

As of March 31, 2025, the DDCA’s contingent liabilities included Rs 12.34 crore towards income tax, Rs 24.45 crore towards entertainment tax, and Rs 18 lakh related to Goods and Services Tax.

Officials respond

DDCA treasurer Harish Singla acknowledged that legal expenses were “definitely very high”, adding that he had not yet been able to examine the accounts in detail due to personal circumstances.

However, he said a significant portion of the professional charges was linked to the Delhi Premier League. “Around Rs 4 crore to Rs 4.5 crore of the professional charges are related to the DPL,” he said.

According to the balance sheet, the DDCA earned Rs 59.94 crore from the T20 tournament and spent Rs 54.57 crore on its conduct, resulting in a surplus of Rs 5.37 crore from the league’s first edition. The expenditure included costs related to event management and on-air presentation.

Chief Financial Officer Manan Gupta said the legal expenses reflected routine costs associated with ongoing court cases. “It cannot be said with certainty whether litigation expenses will be higher or lower in a particular financial year,” he said.

He added that legal spending typically rises in years when elections and annual general meetings (AGMs) are held. “If you compare these figures with years in which elections for the apex council and AGMs take place, the expenses tend to increase,” Gupta said, referring to the elections for the 12-member apex council held in November 2024.

He noted that court cases related to AGMs and membership issues also contribute to higher legal costs. When the full apex council is elected, an election officer of stature is appointed, usually a former Chief Election Commissioner of India, along with a supporting team.

In 2024, former Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti was appointed as the election officer, along with a team of officials, for approximately one-and-a-half months during the election process held between November and December.