BCCI in Trouble! Kochi Tuskers Win ₹538 Crore Battle Over IPL Termination
BCCI has been ordered to pay ₹538 crore to the terminated Kochi Tuskers IPL franchise after losing a long-standing legal battle.
In a big legal blow to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Bombay High Court has ruled in favour of the defunct IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
The court upheld an arbitral award of over ₹538 crore, which the franchise had won in a long-standing legal dispute following their removal from the Indian Premier League in 2011.
Kochi Tuskers’ Short-Lived IPL Journey
Kochi Tuskers Kerala played only one season of IPL in 2011 before being terminated by the BCCI. The cricket board claimed that the franchise, owned by Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL), had breached the terms of the agreement by failing to provide the required bank guarantee on time.
KCPL, however, argued that there were several administrative hurdles, including stadium clearances and internal permissions. They also highlighted that BCCI continued to communicate and accept payments from them even after the deadline. The matter went into arbitration in 2012.
Tribunal Ruling and BCCI’s Challenge
In 2015, the arbitration tribunal ordered the BCCI to pay ₹384 crore to KCPL and return ₹153 crore to Rendezvous Sports World, the original stakeholder in the franchise. BCCI challenged the tribunal’s verdict, claiming that the arbitrator had gone beyond their powers and made errors in judgment.
However, Justice R.I. Chagla of the Bombay High Court rejected BCCI’s arguments. He clarified that under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act, the court could not re-examine the case’s merits and that BCCI’s dissatisfaction was not enough to set aside the award.
“BCCI’s attempt to go into the merits of the dispute is outside the scope of Section 34. Their disagreement with the findings does not provide valid grounds to block the awarded amount,” the judge stated.
What This Means for BCCI
This judgment means the BCCI now has to honour the ₹538 crore arbitral award. With the board already involved in multiple high-profile events and financial plans, this is a massive financial and legal setback.
It remains to be seen whether the BCCI will appeal the decision in a higher court, but for now, the verdict marks a major win for the Kochi Tuskers camp over a decade after their exit from the IPL.
