Cricketer Vanshaj Sharma Banned for 2 Years for Submitting Multiple Birth Certificates

Vanshaj Sharma, a cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir, has been banned from participating in all the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tournaments for a period of 2 years for submitting multiple birth certificates. The ban is operative w.e.f. October 27, 2023.

In 2020-21, Sharma was registered with the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) as a U-19 player. Thereafter, for the 2023-24 season, he got himself registered with the Bihar Cricket Association as a U-23 player, for which he submitted a certificate with a different date of birth.

The BCCI came out with certain additional measures to deal with age and domicile fraud in August 2020. The same was made applicable to all players participating in BCCI age-group tournaments from season 2020-21. As per this framework, cricketers would face a 2-year ban for submitting fake or tampered birth certificates or committing domicile fraud. Further, a voluntary disclosure scheme was also put in place. Under this scheme, players who voluntarily declare that they provided fake or tampered birth certificates and submitted their actual date of birth would be allowed to participate in the appropriate age group levels.

The order dated October 28, 2023, issued by the JKCA specifies that upon completion of the ban period, Sharma can “only participate in the Senior Men’s BCCI Tournaments and is not allowed to participate in any age group tournaments of the BCCI subject to submission of his residence or education or employment documents as per BCCI rules to consider as a local of that SCA he would be representing”.