DDA seals BCCI's 'birthplace' Roshanara Club

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) sealed the famous Roshanara Club and disbanded its management on Friday. The club was part of the early careers of several cricketers, from CK Nayudu to Virat Kohli.

The authority said the club was “illegally occupying land worth thousands of crores for years”. It accused the club of allowing encroachment on around 3.5 acres of land worth ₹180 crore out of the 23.29 acres it was leased.

"After the court decided to uphold its April 12 eviction order, we carried that vacation and took possession of the premises of Roshanara Club Ltd. The leases for the club had expired 11 years back in 2012 and 6 years back in 2017. This action was taken under provisions of section 5 (2) of the PPE Act, 1971," DDA officials told The Times of India.

The club officials, however, termed the sealing illegal.

“In 2013, the club made representations to the DDA, requesting a lease extension. We were given a one-year extension. Since then, we have been in touch with the authorities to grant us further extensions,” Manish Aggarwal, the erstwhile president of the club’s managing committee, told The Hindu. "However, they sent a sealing notice unexpectedly in April. We contested this in a court in Delhi. However, the DDA showed up unannounced this morning and started the sealing processes,” he added.

Various clubs and state and district associations from across the country congregated at Roshanara Club to form the BCCI on December 4, 1928.

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Virat Kohli's childhood coach recalls his Roshanara Club connect

Rajkumar Sharma, Kohli's childhood coach remembered the former Indian captain's career-changing knock in Ranji Trophy in 2009.

"It was at this ground where I saw Virat playing one of his finest knocks in the longer format. It was against Maharashtra and we were set for an outright win, but for bonus (points) we needed a 10-wicket win. Virat, who was captain of the Delhi team, walked out to open with Mithun Manhas, and we chased down the total without losing any wicket,” Sharma told The Indian Express.

Other cricketers who played here recalled it as a pacer's paradise which offered a lot of bounce.