Chennai/Mumbai, Oct. 10: The Indian cricket board took a drastic step on Sunday in deciding to terminate the franchise agreements with Rajasthan Royals and King’s XI Punjab while serving another notice and imposing a fresh deadline of 10 days on the new Kochi franchise to resolve ownership disputes among its promoters.
The decision, taken at an emergency meeting of the IPL governing council in Mumbai, has thrown the IPL’s fourth edition, due to be held next year, into turmoil. Great uncertainty is in the offing since the franchises whose 10-year contracts have been terminated are almost certain to seek legal redress. And once courts in various jurisdictions begin passing orders, doubts are certain to creep into whether this hugely popular league can start as scheduled soon after the 2011 World Cup is over.
If things go according to the BCCI’s plans, IPL-4 may still see eight teams playing in the old format of home and away games before the semi-finals and final — provided that the Kochi team is able to sort out differences among the owners and promoters that were said to be irreconcilable.
“It was unanimously decided that the franchise agreements with K.P.H. Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd (Kings XI) and Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd (Rajasthan Royals) be terminated forthwith based on the legal opinions obtained by the BCCI in the matter,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a release. “It was unanimously decided to issue a notice to the unincorporated joint venture holding the Kochi franchise calling upon them to resolve all their disputes and form a company which will hold the IPL franchise rights. Accordingly, P.R. Raman, advocate for the BCCI, has been given instructions to issue all three notices,” the BCCI said.
“I am shocked about the developments. I don’t know how IPL-4 will be held if the BCCI starts treating teams in this manner,” said Mr Raj Kundra, the co-owner of Rajasthan Royals.