Faction-ridden RCA teams barred from tournament

The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association barred both the teams of the faction-ridden Rajasthan Cricket Association from playing the Twenty-20 Central Zone League tournament, which commenced in Indore on Tuesday.

The MPCA's action came following a directive from the Board of Cricket Control in India, sources said.

As a result, all the matches the Rajasthan team was scheduled to play with four other teams in the tournament stand cancelled, they added.

With Rajasthan barred, the tournament has been reduced to three teams -- Uttar Pradesh, Vidharbha, Railways and Madhya Pradesh.

Two teams arrived in Indore to take part in the tournament following a battle for supremacy going on between two groups in the RCA.

This is the second time that the BCCI has directed the MPCA to prevent Rajasthan from playing in tournaments.

Last week, it directed the MPCA to forbid Rajasthan from playing the under-19 women's Central Zone League one-day tournament.