Over the last few days, several videos, social media posts and news articles have circulated that state that Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and other players who are a part of BCCI's central contract cannot speak out over political or social issues because the BCCI will not allow them to. The speculations were sparked when some of India's cricketing assets failed to respond to recent student protests that was held at the Jantar Mantar by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and several others.

 

But is this statement accurate? The answer is no.

 

There is no single publicly available document, rule or BCCI directive that directly states that players who are centrally contracted are prohibited from talking about politics or anything of that nature. There is no BCCI Public Rule or Code of Conduct that explicitly states that a player can not simply post on social media, be an advocate of a social cause or voice political opinions.

 

What Do the BCCI Rules Actually Say?

 

The BCCI takes no exception to the assertion that every player representing India will display the highest standards of behaviour and professionalism. The Code of Conduct embodies large general principles demanding nothing less than the disrepute of the BCCI, Indian team and cricketers.

 

One of the key provisions is Article 2.2.1 of the BCCI Code of Conduct, which states that:

 

"Players and Player Support Personnel shall not commit any act or omission that would bring the game of cricket, the BCCI or the sport into disrepute."

 

Similarly, Article 2.2.3 states that:

 

"Players and Player Support Personnel shall not engage in conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game."

 

These are broadly drafted and grant wide-ranging power to the BCCI to investigate any conduct that could tarnish the image of Indian cricket. Further, neither of these clauses specify political protests, social movements, government policies or social media representation of social issues.

 

There is, however, no published clause in the BCCI code of conduct that would prevent the Indian cricketers from making comments related to political or social issues.

 

This means the viral claims that the BCCI has a written rule that bans players from speaking on this issue are rather false.

 

Also Read | Why the Rush to Field Injured Players? Shocking BCCI Report Exposes Major Lapse in Team India's Setup

 

Why Do Most Indian Cricketers Stay Silent?

 

While there may not be any direct ban, there are many reasons that come in the way of Indian cricketers from speaking on controversial topics.

 

Most elite players have central contracts with the BCCI, as well as represent a number of the world's top brands. The public spokesperson role, by its very nature, invites censure and unwanted exposure. Players also have endorsement deals which frequently stipulate terms relating to reputation/media profile.

 

Yet another reason is the long-smouldering culture of Indian cricket. For decades, active cricketers have stayed away from political debate, controversial public pronouncements and the like. They generally do not speak out for or against issues which could potentially polarise public debate.

 

Some of the Indian cricketers have also spoken their mind on various issues about the country. This itself reflects that no strict rules are preventing them from speaking out.

 

Whether to comment-or, more often, how to comment-will normally be a personal choice, possibly guided by professional advice, by the commitments undertaken by the brand, and by the burdens of representing a nation.

 

Fact Check Verdict

 

There is no published BCCI ruling that stops Indian cricketers from speaking on political or social topics. The statement "BCCI rules prohibit Indian cricketers speaking out on political or social issues" is not true. Players are expected to speak out in order to preserve the image of Indian cricket, but their choice to speak on a topic is theirs and not regulated by any published BCCI regulation.