BCCI ordered to pay ₹539 crore to Kochi Tuskers Kerala
What's the story
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been ordered by the Bombay High Court to pay ₹539 crore to Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The payment is due to the termination of their Indian Premier League contract.
The court upheld an arbitration award from 2015, stating that BCCI's objections lacked merit.
The dispute dates back to 2011 when the franchise was terminated after just one season in the IPL.
Franchise reaction
Franchise welcomes court's decision
The now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala welcomed the court's decision. The franchise was owned by Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL) and Rendezvous Sports World (RSW), and had a short-lived stint in the 4th edition of the IPL.
The BCCI has been given six weeks to appeal against this ruling.
This marks another chapter in the long-standing IPL franchise dispute that has continued for over a decade.
Legal options
BCCI's next step remains unclear
The BCCI has not yet responded to the court's ruling. It remains unclear if the board will appeal this decision in the Supreme Court.
This ruling is a significant development in the long-standing IPL franchise dispute, which has been ongoing for more than a decade now.
Statement
Here's what the court said
"The jurisdiction of this Court under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act is very limited," Justice Riyaz I. Chagla said in his order rejecting the BCCI's challenge of the arbitrator's award, as per ESPNcricinfo.
"BCCI's endeavour to delve into the merits of the dispute is in teeth of the scope of the grounds contained in Section 34 of the Act. BCCI's dissatisfaction as to the findings rendered in respect of the evidence and/or the merits cannot be a ground to assail the Award."
Information
More details from the statement
"The conclusion of the learned Arbitrator namely that BCCI had wrongfully invoked the bank guarantee which amounted to a repudiatory breach of the KCPL-FA would call for no interference under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act considering that this is based on a correct appreciation of the evidence on record," the statement added.