New Delhi: The Mumbai High Court has dismissed the petitions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) challenging the arbitrator's award of more than Rs 538 crore in favor of now-defunct Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Justice R Chagla said in the order passed on Tuesday that there is no 'clear illegality' in the arbitrator's decision which requires the intervention of the court. The court has asked BCCI to pay this amount.
The Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise was awarded to a group led by Rondivu Sports World (RSW) and was later operated by Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL). The team participated in the IPL in 2011 but their contract was terminated by the BCCI the following year. The dispute revolves around the termination of the agreement by the BCCI on the grounds that KCPL and RSW allegedly failed to submit the requisite bank guarantees.
KCPL and RSW initiated arbitration proceedings in 2012 and found such termination of the contract to be wrongful.
The arbitration tribunal ruled in their favour in 2015. It ordered KCPL to refund over Rs 153.3 crore to RSW along with interest and costs as compensation of over Rs 384.8 crore. The BCCI had challenged these orders in the High Court.
How was Kochi Tuskers Kerala's performance in the IPL?
Kochi Tuskers Kerala played only the 2011 IPL season. However, the team's performance was quite disappointing. Kochi won only 6 out of the 14 matches played while they lost 8. They finished the season at the 8th position in the points table with 12 points. There were a total of 10 teams in the IPL that season.
