Ganguly in panel to study Lodha Committee ruling

The much-debated termination issue of the suspended IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals did not find many takers during the IPL Governing Council meeting with the exception of former BCCI treasurer and GC member Ajay Shirke. This working committee will submit their recommendations in the next six weeks.

Governing Council members Ajay Shirke and Jyotiraditya Scindia were expected to be part of the Working Group but weren’t included by the IPL Chairman. “The members recognised that there’s an pressing want to perceive the influence of this choice and the broader ramifications for BCCI intimately, in order to uphold the paramountcy of the sport in our nation”, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur stated.

“The committee will be assisted by the legal advisor of BCCI, Mr. UN Banerjee. How we will proceed will be be recommended by the working group which will have discussions with all the stakeholders like the sponsors, broadcasters, franchisees and state associations”, he said.

The Lodha panel had, in its verdict on July 14, suspended two teams – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) – for two years because their officials were involved in betting. “Beyond that, if BCCI Working Committee decides something, it’s up to them”, said IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla to NDTV, hinting that the two teams may not be terminated.

“We still have some time for IPL 9, so we should not take any hasty decision. We will take after the system and go to an accord on every one of the matters identifying with IPL”, Shukla said.

A working group is being set up to advise the India cricket board on the recent suspensions of two top Indian Premier League (IPL) teams. “A Supreme Court-appointed committee has deliberated on it (the IPL scandal) and after it has given its verdict, I don’t think there is scope for anybody else to comment”, he said. He said the justice will come into appliance from today.

“IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams.

“We took the opinion of all the members on what to do and what not to do”.

The BCCI has a lot on its plate and it’ll be interesting to see how they tackle it all in Sunday’s meeting.