BCCI to decide fate of suspended IPL teams by end of August

BCCI'S CORE COMMITTEE will take a final call on the future of two suspended IPL teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals by the end of this month.

“The report has been finalised and the core group will meet on August 19. On August 28, the report will be kept before the working committee,” BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur told Hindustan Times.

“Controversies are everywhere but the fact is that IPL is the most popular cricket tournament, where young players get an opportunity to play with great players of the world and economy of the country is also strengthened,” he said, adding that the BCCI had attempted to redress all weaknesses after a discussion with stakeholders in a short span of time.

“The core group was given only six weeks’ time on July 20 to submit the report,” said Anurag.

Meanwhile, Justice RM Lodha’s committee has submitted its roadmap for next year’s IPL.

In the meeting to be held on August 28 at Kolkata, the working committee will discuss the recommendations of the IPL Working Group that is headed by Rajiv Shukla. It also comprises of Thakur himself, ex-Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly, Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary as members.

Last month, the Lodha committee had suspended India Cements and Jaipur IPL, owners of CSK and RR for a period of two years. The committee also imposed a lifetime ban on Gurunath Meiyappan, a former CSK official and Raj Kundra, former co-owner of the Royals.

The Lodha committee's order sent BCCI and the concerned team officials into a series of meetings, in order to arrive at a conclusion. It is now upto the BCCI to decide whether the teams will play under different ownership or remain in a two-year ban.