In a major relief to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Bombay High Court bench of Justice G S Patel set aside an arbitrator’s order that directed it to pay over Rs 4800 crore to Deccan Chronicle Holding Ltd regarding dispute for termination of IPL team

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bombay High Court sets aside arbitrators’ order to BCCI to pay 4800 crore to DC
• BCCI had challenged July 2020 verdict asking it to pay Rs 4800 crore
• BCCI had terminated Deccan Chargers from the Indian Premier League in 2012

The Bombay High Court bench of Justice G S Patel set aside an arbitrator’s order that directed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to pay over Rs 4800 crore to Deccan Chronicle Holding Ltd regarding a dispute for termination of the IPL team. The BCCI had challenged the July 2020 verdict asking it to pay INR 4800 crore.

After BCCI conceptualized the IPL T20 tournament in 2008, DCHL was declared successful bidder for franchise Deccan Chargers from Hyderabad, and an agreement was signed between Deccan Chargers and the BCCI for ten years.

Deccan Chargers, owned by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (DCHL), was one of the eight original teams of the Indian Premier League. It had also won the 2009 edition of the IPL, under the captaincy of Adam Gilchrist.

However, BCCI terminated the franchise in September 2012. The BCCI also alleged that the franchise had breached the BCCI code. While DCHL tried to auction the franchise, it rejected the sole bid it received from PVP Ventures. Later BCCI terminated the contract and put all its players into the auction pool.

DCHL then approached the Bombay High Court claiming that the termination was arbitrary. The HC in September 2012 appointed retired Supreme Court Justice C K Thakker as the sole Arbitrator to decide the matter. The court then appointed retired justice CK Thakkar as arbitrator, who awarded a Rs 4800 crore verdict in favour of the now-defunct IPL team, last year.

Notably, the BCCI was involved in a similar arbitration case with the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala, wherein it was asked to pay INR 850 Crore after losing the case. The matter was later challenged by the BCCI and is pending to this day. (INPUTS FROM VIDYA)