Will CSK and RR return in 2018?

MENOLOGY

• Preafce• Suspended For LifeTime• Committee’s Order• Shashank Manohar• Board Draft Of Do’s & Don’t• IPL Broadcast Rights• Board Invite Bids• Denouement

PREFACE

• On 14th July 2015, Chief Justice of India RM Lodha suspended Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR)

• IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) got suspended for two years after their officials were found accountable of illegal betting on IPL matches

SUSPENDED FOR LIFETIME

• Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra and former Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan had been suspended for lifetime from any cricketing activity

• The son-in-law of ICC chief N Srinivasan, Gurunath Meiyappan leaked details of the team’s batting order and composition to Vindoo Dara Singh through several calls made between them

COMMITTEE’S ORDER

• Top BCCI and IPL officials met to discuss:-

Whether new companies will be permitted to bid for the two vacant slots

Whether all players or only the CSK and RR players will be going into auctions next year

And also the probability of the de-merger of CSK from parent company India Cements

SHASHANK MANOHAR

• Newly-elected president Shashank Manohar vowed to clean the image of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

• Till date, Mr. Manohar had not taken any strict action against the illegal betting on IPL matches

• No action had taken against the Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra and former Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan

BOARD DRAFT OF DO’S & DON’T

• The board is now busy preparing the draft of dos and don'ts for the two suspended franchises while they stay away from IPL

• Rules regarding what CSK and RR can and cannot do during the period of ban is still in the process of being drafted

IPL BROADCAST RIGHTS

• In 2018, the IPL broadcast rights will come up for renewal

• We don't know what kind of bidding will be at play - $2b, $3b or more

• In this interim period, a two-year window for any potential investor can turn out to be a great marketing initiative

BOARD INVITE BIDS

• The board will float tenders and invite bids for two new franchises for 2016 and 2017

• None of the top officials bothered to go into the details of why the tender for new teams will be floated for only two years when IPL has a provision to extend the league from eight to 10 teams

DENOUEMENT

• CSK, RR to come back after two-year suspension in IPL

• BCCI to include two new teams in place of CSK and RR in coming IPL season

• BCCI did not clarify whether IPL will be a 10-team affair from 2018, when CSK and RR will come back to the fold