IPL players’ RR & KXIP auction may be postponed again

Mumbai : The ongoing legal battle between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab may see the players’ auction for the fourth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) postponed for a couple of months.

The auction has already been postponed from November to January 8 and 9 and another postponement would see it clashing with the start of the World Cup that is slated to kick-off from Feb 18.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on October 10 had terminated both Rajasthan and Punjab over disputed ownership rights, and the failure to report the change of control in the shareholding pattern to the IPL governing council.

Both franchises eventually approached the Bombay High Court, and subsequently opted for arbitration.

The board selected Justice B.N. Srikrishna as the judge in both arbitration cases, and his interim judgement in the case of Rajasthan caught the BCCI unawares.

The judge said that “prima facie” the Indian board was aware of the change of the control in the ownership structure at Rajasthan and their defence was “too facile to cut ice”.

He imposed a stay on Rajasthan’s expulsion and instructed the IPL to allow them to exercise all their rights under the franchise agreement.

In another twist, before pronouncing any decision on Punjab’s case, Srikrishna announced that he had been the legal counsel of the Wadia Group 35 years ago, and withdrew from the case as Ness Wadia is one of the co-owners of the Punjab team.

The board then approached the Bombay High Court seeking relief from the stay on Rajasthan’s removal, with the matter likely to come before the court this week.