Warne wants to coach Team India

Australian leg-spin legend Shane Warne has shown interest in coaching World Cup champions India, local media reported on Wednesday."It is a very difficult job to be India coach, it is never easy," Warne was quoted."But with India doing so well, it is a lot easier to take over right now than it has been in the past. I'll enjoy functioning with the Indian cricket team for sure."Warne is in the country to take part in the Indian Premier League where he leads the Rajasthan Royals franchise in the cash-rich Twenty20 competition, starting on Friday.

India are without a coach after former South African batsman Gary Kirsten stepped down following the World Cup victory in Mumbai last week. Warne said Kirsten had set high benchmarks during a victorious three-year stint with Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team."Kirsten is a quality person and it would be hard to find a replacement for him. Under him, the Indian team has reached the number one spot in Tests and won the World Cup," said Warne, 41."He is a fantastic coach."Warne, who quit international cricket in 2007 with 708 wickets in Tests and 293 in one-dayers.

IPL News

Vettori to lead RCB in IPL-4

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori will lead the Royal Challengers Bangalore team in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League .RCB chairman Vijay Mallya in a statement said: "Vettori is a experienced and cherished leader and we hope to ride to the summit of success in this IPL under his leadership."Vettori led a determined New Zealand team to the ICC World Cup 2011 semifinals where they lost to Sri Lanka.


Former Indian Test captain Anil Kumble led the Royal Challengers for the second and third editions of the IPL in which it completed as runners-up and the third best team in 2009 and 2010."It is wonderful that we have somebody of Vettori's build to lead our team this year. He is the ideal person to fill Kumble's shoes and I wish him the very best in this endeavor. I look forward to supporting him in his efforts towards a victorious season," said Siddhartha Mallya, Royal Challengers Sports Ltd director, in a statement.

Kumble, who is president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), is the chief mentor of the Royal Challengers."Vettori is a respected professional not only within his team but amongst his international peers as well. His exclusive ability to get players to perform as a unit and deliver more than just the sum of their parts, as he has done time and again with New Zealand, will be a big asset to any team," Kumble said.

Gambhir to lead Kolkata Knight Riders

India batsman Gautam Gambhir was on Monday named captain of Kolkata Knight Riders team for the Indian Premier League season four starting next month. Announcing Gambhir's appointment as KKR captain, the IPL team described him a thorough professional and praised his management qualities."We are delighted that Gautam Gambhir will be leading our team. He is a thorough professional and his performance and leadership qualities speak for themselves," KKR CEO & MD Venky Mysore said in a KKR release.

Gambhir said he was looking forward to leading the team in IPL 4."It's a pleasure and an honour to lead the KKR team. I believe that the KKR management has put together a terrific team. I am looking forward to the season and feel very positive," said Gambhir, who was Delhi Daredevils captain last season.He was bought by KKR for a record-breaking USD 2.4 million (Rs 11.04 crore) in the IPL auction held in Bangalore in January.

Along with Gambhir, six members of the KKR squad are currently playing in the World Cup. They are Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Brad Haddin, Ryan ten Doeschate and Shakib al Hasan.

IPL beats World Cup in FMCG

Even as the Godrej Group and Loreal India are investing more in the upcoming Indian Premier League-4th edition, Parle Agro, Parle Products and PepsiCo India are gambling big on World Cup 2011. On the other hand, telecom players, cola majors and consumer durables firms are investing in both sport properties to gain high visibility for their brands. Incidentally, telecom player Vodafone has opted to support both IPL and the World Cup to leverage the cricket platform. Yet another telecom player, Idea Cellular, will be beaming its television movement titled ‘Keep Cricket Clean’ during the telecast of World Cup 2011.

On the Godrej Group’s ad strategy, Tanya Dubash, executive director & president (marketing), the Godrej Group said, “I think the IPL belongings is a safe, low-risk proposal. We are one of the sponsors for IPL -4. We may look at ad spots for World Cup 2011 it fits into our media plans.” In sharp contrast, Nadia Chauhan, joint managing director & CMO of Parle Agro, said the company prefers to invest in World Cup 2011 to gain visibility for its beverages brands during the peak season summer. “Besides, IPL charges very high. We prefer the World Cup to increase our visibility in a media clutter,” she added. Clearly, the clash between brand India and the IPL brand will hot up in the next two months.

Arch rivals Coca-Cola India and PepsiCo India plan to invest in both the sport properties, World Cup 2011 and IPL 4. “Both these sports proceedings give us with opportunities that will help our brands reach out to the related aim audience. We will be investing in both,” said a spokesperson from Coca Cola India. According to Sandeep Singh Arora, executive vice-president - marketing, Cola, PepsiCo India, is one of main sponsors for World Cup 2011. “We will be investing in IPL-4 in different formats,” he said. According to Sudha Natrajan, president & COO of Lintas Media Group, ESPN has seen investments to the tune of Rs 800 crore (approximately) by advertisers on World Cup 2011.

Royals ask for Rs 120-crore damages from BCCI

The owners of Rajasthan Royals IPL team, investors Manoj Badale, Suresh Chellaram and Lachlan Murdoch have determined to move the court against BCCI just two months before the start of the fourth edition of the profitable Twenty20 tournament. According to sources, Rajasthan Royals has sent a written petition to the arbitrator, mediating between the two warring parties, seeking damages of Rs 120 crores (USD 30m) for denting their image and reputation. According to the Royals, the BCCI’S efforts to push the franchisee out of the league has resulted in a lot of damage to their status.

The Board had completed the contract with the franchise alleging that it had breached the agreement by varying its shareholding pattern without the Board`s consent. Royals took legal recourse through the arbitrator, who ruled in their favour.BCCI appealed in the Bombay High Court against the stay of the extinction of the contract given by the arbitrator but the High Court also ruled in Royals` favour."We have asked for a sum close to Rs 120 crore through a submission to the arbitrator, but this is part of the arbitration process which is not yet complete. Only an interim order has been passed," a spokesperson for the franchisee said.

"The amount is for the damages to our reputation, sponsors and legal costs," he said, adding a copy of the submission has also been sent to the Board. However, when contacted in Nagpur, BCCI chief Shashank Manohar said he was not aware of the demand from Rajasthan Royals."I do not know anything on this," said Manohar. Royals were asked to submit a bank guarantee to the BCCI (USD 2.83 million for the contract and USD 18 million for the players) before being allowed to take part in the new players` auction held on January 8 and 9 at Bangalore. Royals were the winners of the opening edition of IPL in 2008.

Mumbai Indians questions auction process

Mumbai Indians Thursday shot a powerfully worded letter to the Governing Council of the Indian Premier League (IPL) seeking clarification on the last-minute changes made to the auction rules for the league's fourth edition. Nikhil Meswani, executive director of Reliance Industries, in a letter to the Governing Council asked why was the auction changed from 'selection of sets at random' to pre-decided 'order of auction list' for the January 8-9 players auction, and said there was no 'justification' in making the last-minute change.



'The main purpose of deciding the order of auction through random draw in the auction room in the presence of the bidders is to ensure clearness and a level playing field to all the franchises so that they are not privy to the process. And no particular team receives preferred treatment,' he said. 'Any change in the auction rules process or procedures in this manner on the very last minute can have any justification if, and only if, strong justifiable and emergent reasons can be demonstrated. We see a complete absence of such reason or justification.

Kindly let us know as to why and to whose instance ths change was introduced,' he said. Meswani also asked the Governing Council to furnish series of documents, including agenda note and agenda of the meeting (Dec 17) of the IPL Governing Council in which the auction briefing was accepted. He also wanted the quorum and minutes of the same meeting and agenda note if any containing justification that necessitated the change in the presentation of the sets and rules and bye-laws of IPL relating to auction procedures.

Ganguly to move to Kochi IPL team

Eleven days after the auctioneer brought down his strike for the last time at IPL players' auction in Bangalore, a ray of expectation has emerged for Sourav Ganguly, who was ignored by all the 10 franchises.Team Kochi, which will be making its IPL debut in the ensuing T20 event, have slowly realised their folly and are eager to take Ganguly on board. The Kochi management, who clearly showed no aptitude for team composition and failed to net a single capped Indian batsman other than VVS Laxman, have approached the Governing Council to allow them to sign the former India captain.

However, they can do so only if the other nine franchises raise no objection to this out-of-auction deal. The BCCI, on its part, has no objection. "If the franchises have no objection, why should we stand in any player's way to play in the IPL? However, there is no question of winding the rule or building an exception," said a Governing Council member.IPL rules state that capped players put up for auction, can only be bought through an open bidding process. Ganguly, along with Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer and Punjab pacer VRV Singh were the only three Indian players to remain unsold at the end of the two-day auction.

The duty is clearly now on Kochi bosses to convince the other franchises to let them take Ganguly on board. Having rejected the southpaw outright at the auction, it is hard to understand why the other franchises would object to Kochi hiring Ganguly - unless, of course, they are bent upon keeping Dada away from IPL.If the Kochi deal works out, Sourav can look forward to joining forces with his old KKR mates Brendon McCullum, Brad Hodge and Owais Shah and one-time Sri Lankan foes of Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan.For the moment, though, Ganguly is keeping his fingers crossed.

Sad to lose Pathan, happy to have Gilly

Kings XI Punjab co-owner and Bollywood star Priety Zinta said she was disappointed to lose all-rounder Irfan Pathan but delighted to buy former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist in the first session of auction for the fourth leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. Kings XI Punjab went to buy their former player Pathan but faced a ferocious fight from Delhi Daredevils. Punjab was in the bidding till $1.8 million before Daredevils grabbed him for $1.9 million.

"Irfan is a wonderful player. He is a great swing bowler and a good batsman. He has a good character. He was my favourite player in the team and we wanted to have him. So, we are naturally disappointed, you don't get every player you want to buy," Priety said.Kings XI Punjab, however, are drawing solace from the purchase of Gilchrist, who led Deccan Chargers to win the second edition of the league. They bought the retired Australian for $900,000.

"Gilchrist is the only reason I am smiling. Adam is an inspiring player. He is a fantastic player and he holds his nerves in a tough situation. I have not spoken to him but have exchanged text messages after we bought him," she said.India's Pathan brother will be the richest among the four set of brothers, who will be seen in action in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting April 8.

Gauti, Yusuf rock as old turns cold

The dizzying high of the first session of auctioning had hardly ruined in when the blow came. Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly's name was pulled out instantly after the first break during the morning session only to find there were no takers. Even his team Kolkata Knight Riders had moved on.The player auction for the fourth edition of the IPL kicked off with typical glitz and glamour at a Bangalore five-star hotel, just like earlier editions. But this time, there was clearly no sentiment for the old guns as the franchises showed they have moved on and only sharp calculations and the purse at their command would matter.

Ganguly and Lara could still be picked up later in the auction at lower prices, but the message was clear; players should fit into the racy Twenty20 game.The Kolkata Knight Riders showed the same confidence to purchase India opener Gautam Gambhir, one of the hot picks before the two-day auction began, for a record $2.4 million (Rs 11.04 cr). Not retained by Delhi Daredevils this time, Gambhir made more than 100% jump having started at a reserve price of $200,000.That set the new benchmark. Gambhir's price eclipsed the $1.55 million Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen commanded before the 2009 league. KP was this time bought for a modest $650,000 (Rs 3 cr) by Deccan Chargers.

Mumbai reportedly acquired West Indies all rounder Keiron Pollard for $2.2 million last year, although the amount is unofficial after a tie at $750,000.KKR were on the charge in the morning as they grabbed another prize asset, Yusuf Pathan. The explosive batsman and off spinner cost $2.1 million (Rs 9.6 cr). Kolkata showed hostility as it had spent $5.6 million (Rs 25 cr) of its total purse of $9 million (Rs 41 cr) even before the morning was over as it got Jacques Kallis for another $1.1 million (Rs 5 cr). Indian batsmen ruled the roost at the auction with Rohit Sharma commanding $2 million (Rs 9.2 cr) as his home team Mumbai Indians made a successful bid.

Franchisees ready with their wishlists

There is no business like show business. After all, the IPL is bigger than the normal show, it's something the stars of the show business have paid through their noses to get into rather than the other way around. With the stars are some of the leading business honchos, whose occurrence goes to show that there are cash to be made as well and not just spent. The mood was buoyant too at the wellappointed Royal Gardenia, the official hotel for the two - day Players Auction that kicks off on Saturday ahead of the fourth edition of the IPL. If Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra walked in hand in hand, a few others seemed to be walking hand in glove, perhaps, just perhaps, having arrived at a joint strategy.

The flamboyant Vijay Mallya, straight out of a holiday in Maldives, made a dramatic last-minute entry as usual , posing for pictures with Ness Wadia just before joining the briefing by the BCCI for the franchisees, all 10 of whom were very much present . All were well represented by a set of overseas coaches, with Robin Singh of Mumbai Indians being the exception. To a man, the excitement was palpable. Come 11.00 am on Saturday morning, as much as $75.9 million ($14.1 million of the total purse of $90 million for the 10 teams has gone in the retaining of 12 players) will be traded, give or take a million or five for the uncapped players who are not part of the auction.




With serious money comes serious thought and that seems to be the common thread this time around, with all the franchisees, including to an extent the two new ones, swearing they are improved prepared. "There may have been a lot of uncertainty around the auction, the number of teams, so on and so forth, but that hasn't hampered our training in any way," said a team official, who like most others spoke on condition of secrecy. "We now know how the whole concept works, the last three years have given us the knowledge," was the chorus. Only one man begged to differ slightly. "Yes, now we are more experienced but let's admit one thing, sometimes too much knowledge can be a hindrance. We went in blind the first time and didn't do too badly," he said.

Amidst all the brouhaha ahead of the big days, one aspect stood out. No official wanted to reveal the wish list, lest it push up the price up of their wanted players. At the same time some tried to push a name or two they were least involved in, just so that someone falls for the trap, the price is raised and the particular team's kitty reduced. "Don't take us for fools," said a former cricketer, associated with a franchise, the IPL being a boon for much-retired cricketers too. One other thing was made clear.This time around, the most deliberate factor, even more than the talent of the worried player, is his availability. "Believe me the spreadsheets have been more about who will be available for how long than the money. That perhaps is the biggest lesson we have learnt," said the player.

IPL seeks new begin with player auction

The Indian Premier League looks to recapture its lost shine this weekend with a player auction at which teams will bid big bucks to secure some of finest talent in world cricket .The annual IPL tournament revolutionised the sport when it burst onto the scene in 2008 with a high-octane combine of international star players, Twenty20 matches and Bollywood glamour. But its future looked gloomy last year after allegations of massive corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams' real owners, and even links to India's criminal underworld.IPL founder Lalit Modi -- whose brash style personified the event -- was thrown out by the BCCI, the sport's governing body in India, over accusations about his conduct and organisers hope this year will be fresh start.

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara and England's Ashes hero James Anderson will be among those going under the hammer at the auction in Bangalore on Saturday and Sunday. They are among 21 cricketers with the highest reserve price of $400,000 for a three-year contract, with teams such as the Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians likely to force prices sky-high in a fierce bidding war. Other foreigners up for grabs include Australians Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee , England's Kevin Pietersen, South Africans Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, and New Zealand's Daniel Vettori.The tournament, to be held from April 8 to May 22, is expected to feature 10 teams after Indian courts upturned the exclusion of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.

The BCCI, as part of its attempt to improve transparency in the IPL, threw out both teams in October for not declaring changes in their ownership structures. The ensuing legal battle led to their likely return though no official declaration has yet been made. Two new teams have joined the league: Kochi, which have also been involved in a nasty ownership squabble, and the Pune Warriors.The players' auction was due to be held in November but was delayed amid uncertainty about the size and format of this year's tournament, which will start just six days after the end of the World Cup co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Twelve players have been retained by their original franchises, with Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni staying with the Chennai Super Kings and Shane Warne and Shane Watson sticking with the Rajasthan Royals. Some top cricketers have opted out of the IPL's fourth edition, including the Australian trio of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson, and former India captain Anil Kumble. Other famous absentees include former Australian stars Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath. Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who signed for $1.55 million with the Chennai Super Kings in 2009, has retired. Pakistan's cricketers will continue to miss out on the IPL bonanza after none of them was included for the auction.

Bevan to coach Kings XI

Kings XI Punjab appointed former Australian ODI expert Michael Bevan as the coach for the upcoming IPL season IV.40-year-old Bevan, inarguably one of the finest finishers in limited-overs during the ‘90s represented Australia in 232 ODIs with a staggering average close to 54 and 6912 runs with six centuries and 46 fifties. He also played 18 Tests but he was always known for his capability to bail Australia out of trouble on many occasions.

Expectedly, Bevan seemed ecstatic about his new role. “I have been following IPL since season-I, and now thanks to my new role as coach of Kings XI Punjab, I am part of this action-packed cricket tournament. I love this game and I am quite excited to coach a team that is motivated by the same passion,” he was quoted as saying in a media release issued by the franchise.“The immediate focus of course is on getting the right pool of talent in the upcoming auctions in Bangalore. Post that, my boys and I promise to deliver some great cricketing moments this season of IPL.”

The promoters of the franchise on their part said, “We are thrilled to have Bevan as our coach for the upcoming season. His rich experience, huge skill and sheer commitment to the game will guide the team to perform and enhance their skills.”The COO of KXIP Col. Arvinder, said: “We are happy to be associated with a reliable and a complete cricketer like Bevan. We look forward to his association and welcome him to our KXIP family. His contribution to the team will be an added advantage for the players and help them deliver their best both on and off the field.”

IPL players' auction ad rates are high

Multi Screen Media, which will telecast live the upcoming cricket players' auction for IPL season four on Set Max, is advertising ad slots for Rs 50,000 per ten seconds, a best of about five times compared to a normal day.The broadcaster has already started selling ad space for for the two-day auction event to be held on January 8-9 in Bangalore."Since it will be a live event, not much ad-inventory is available. We have already started selling spots at a premium," Multi Screen Media President (Network Sales) Rohit Gupta said.

He said the company is charging around Rs 50,000 per 10 seconds spot from advertisers during the two day event. According to media buyers, on a usual day, buying a ten second ad spot on Set Max channel, that primarily shows movies, costs around Rs 10,000."There is a lot of interest from advertisers and spectators for a cricket related event like IPL auctioning. So it will certainly have differentiated pricing than for films," Mindshare managing partner (entertainment sports partnerships) Hiren Pandit said.

Some 350 best cricketers of the world will go under the hammer on Jan 8-9 in Bangalore during the auction for the fourth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).The timing of the event, which is being held over a weekend, has also made it a required after property. "The auction is happening on Saturday and Sunday, so the spots during the live telecast will sell like hot cakes," ZenithOptimedia Senior Vice-President Naveen Khemka said. He said besides Set Max, even news channels are likely to enjoy good viewership as people will tune into news channels to obtain quick updates.

During the matches, however, Set Max is charging above Rs five lakh for a ten second spot, according to industry estimates."The money MSM will make throughout the two day auction event is like a drop in the ocean to the total revenues it is likely to generate from the entire IPL," Khemka added. MSM hopes to earn around 20 per cent more revenues from season four of the league as compared to IPL3. MSM is understood to have raked in around Rs 750 crore from last season's IPL.

350 players to go under hammer for IPL 4

Cricket News:
As many as 350 top cricketers from India and abroad would go under the auctioneer's hammer in Bangalore on January 8 and 9 with the 10 IPL franchises bidding for their services for the fourth season of the profitable Twenty20 League. Barring a dozen players, including Indian superstars Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, who have been retained by five franchises in advance of the auction as per the IPL player regulations, most of the world's top players would be up for grabs.

The list of players has 11 out of 12 century makers in the previous three IPL seasons, together with the Twenty20 league's fastest century maker Yusuf Pathan and 2010 ICC ODI Player of the Year, A B de Villers (South Africa), Cricket Board Secretary N Srinivasan said on Wednesday.Former India skippers Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid, too, would be available for pickings by the different franchises.

Other established IPL performers available at the auction include current Indian team members Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh, as well as 2009 IPL's most successful bowler (38 wickets) RP Singh."The DLF IPL auction is indeed a very thrilling prospect. I am confident that IPL fans throughout India and across the world will be paying very close thought to which of the world's best cricketers will be wearing their teams colours for the next IPL season," said IPL Chairman Chirayu Amin

IPL asks franchises not to court domestic players

The BCCI has sent a notice to all 10 IPL franchises instructing them to refrain from future uncapped India domestic players ahead of the 2011 tournament awaiting notified to do so by the board. "The circular states the franchises can only sign players once the IPL lets them know the timing," a franchise official told.Under league rules, the domestic players have been broken down in to three categories, depending on how much first-class cricket they have played. The lowest tier of players can sign for Rs 10 lakhs (US$21,500) per year, the middle tier for Rs 20 lakhs ($43,000) and the top tier - those who have played at least five seasons of Ranji Trophy - will be paid Rs 30 lakhs ($64,500) per year.

According to the official, a lack of good home players is the reason why franchises are reportedly pursuing deals already.However, not everybody is happy. Another franchise official said that the IPL's closed-door method is only hurting them. "How can the IPL do this and not announce the date when we can start signing the talent? Otherwise we might lose on fetching a good buy."IPL 4 has been determined by argument since the then chairman Lalit Modi was suspended by the BCCI in April. Modi was later removed from the administration of the league altogether, while two teams with alleged links to him- Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab - were terminated by the board.

Both teams have since been reinstated by the courts and will take part in the player auction in January.There seems to be another viable reason why the IPL is being strict on the signings of uncapped domestic players. "The BCCI is wary. What if both Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals sign uncapped players, and then falter on the assurance money the Bombay High Court asked them to raise by January 3 as a condition for restoring their status after they were terminated?," an IPL official told.

IPL auction to be held in Bangalore

Cricket news:

The much-awaited Indian Premier League players auction will be held at Bangalore on January 8 and 9 and will see over 400 players going under the beat.“The auction is to be held in Bangalore and a total of 416 players would go under the beat,” IPL sources said. Under the IPL player policy, each of the founding franchises could retain up to four players (of which only three could be Indian) in advance of the player auction against fixed deductions from the USD 9 million salary cap.

Only Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have retained the full compliment of players. CSK have retained captain Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay and South African all-rounder Albie Morkel.MI held on to batting celebrity Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga and West Indian powerhouse Kieron Pollard.By retaining four players, MI and CSK are each left with only USD 4.5m to spend either in the auction or in buying Ranji players outside the auction.

Delhi Daredevils retained swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli was retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals decided to maintain their two Australian stars Shane Warne and Shane Watson.Rajasthan Royals will have USD 5.9 mn available to spend while Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore will each have a balance of USD 7.2mn available. The remaining franchises have the full USD 9mn available to spend.

BCCI not to move Supreme Court against Royals, Kings XI

The IPL will be a ten-team affair in its fourth season after the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) on Saturday determined not to move Supreme Court against Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. Contrary to the media reports,the players' auction will now be held as per the schedule on January 8 and 9.Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab were expelled from the league in October this year for committing violations in their shareholding pattern, without informing the cricket board. However, Rajasthan had secured an provisional stay on the expulsion by an self-determining arbitrator.

Last month, independent arbitrator Justice B N Srikrishna had ordered a six-week stay on the termination of the Rajasthan Royals' contract, efficiently allowing them to continue to function as a part of the league for that period of time. The BCCI challenged the order in the Bombay High Court.On Tuesday, Justice S J Vazaifdar dismissed the appeal filed and permitted Rajasthan Royals to take part in the IPL 4 auction to be held on January 8 and 9.On December 8, the Bombay High Court granted Kings XI Punjab an interim stay on its removal from the IPL but asked the franchise to satisfy certain conditions, including retaining its shareholding pattern, fulfilling pending player payments and paying the BCCI guarantee money in case the final judgement goes against them.

The Board, as expected, challenged the order but it suffered another legal setback when on Wednesday a division bench of the Bombay High Court dismissed their appeal.The order allowed the Kings XI to carry on being part of the tournament and to participate in next month's player auction.In its ruling, the bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Anoop Mohata - said the entire basis of the letter of termination issued by the BCCI to the Mohali franchise was "erroneous and flawed"."It is abundantly clear that BCCI wanted to terminate the agreement on the basis of what was factually incorrect," it observed. "Termination was anything but fair and was wholly arbitrary."The BCCI had the option to file an appeal in the apex court but they have decided otherwise.

Royals are back in the game

In what comes as a relief to Rajasthan Royals, the Bombay high court on Tuesday upheld an order passed just by an authority that allows the IPL franchise from Jaipur to play in the forthcoming IPL seasons.The team which has actor Shilpa Shetty as its glamorous co-owner, however, will have to give financial securities worth $18 million for its players' salaries for the next two seasons and $2.83 million towards notional loss that the cricket board could have suffered for being unable to get fresh bids for a new franchise after terminating its contract with Royals in October.

The HC also directed Tresco International, Blue Water Estate and Emerging Media UK to file affidavits disclosing "how and in what mode it controls the franchisee."Justice Shiavax Vazifdar discarded an appeal filed by the BCCI against the order of sole arbitrator retired supreme court Justice BN Srikrishna. The HC upheld the findings given by the arbitrator on the facts of the dispute. Justice Srikrishna while staying the termination had observed that the action of the board was "prima facie illegal."BCCI is likely to appeal against the order next week.

Justice Srikrishna had observed that prima facie the violations described by the BCCI in its October 10, 2010 notice "did not occur and therefore, BCCI was not entitled to exercise its right of terminating the contract." The arbitrator had also not accepted the contention of the BCCI that the "contract had such minute and numerous details dependent on personal qualification and volition of the parties or that it would require constant monitoring by the court."Justice Srikrishna had said that the "terms of the contract make it clear that the league cannot be terminated unless it becomes unviable.

BCCI probe meet against Modi put off

The next hearing of the Cricket Board’s disciplinary committee, probing charges of financial irregularities agianst Lalit Modi, has been put off by two weeks following a request from the earlier Indian Premier League Commissioner’s attorney Mehmood Abdi.Abdi requested that the sitting, scheduled on Monday and Tuesday at Delhi, be put off following an accident of Modi’s counsel Swadeep Hora, who has been cross—examining the witnesses of the BCCI and the request has been accepted, it was learnt.

Hora met with an accident on Friday evening while he was travelling back to Jaipur and would be unable to conduct the cross examination today and tomorrow as his son has sustained injuries and essential his care and concentration, the Modi camp informed disciplinary panel member Arun Jaitley.The new dates of the hearing have been fixed as December 27 and 28, it was learnt.At the previous hearing on November 22, Modi had raised a technical point that the panel probing charges of financial irregularities allegedly committed by Modi as the IPL chief did not have the mandate of the Board’s AGM held on September 29.

The Board, subsequently, convened a Special General Body Meeting here on December 11 and appointed the same three—man panel consisting of Jaitley, Chirayu Amin and Jyotiraditya Scindia to continue the disciplinary proceedings against Modi.Modi, who is overseas, has not attended in person any of the previous sittings of the panel.

BCCI probe meet against Modi put off

The next hearing of the Cricket Board’s disciplinary committee, probing charges of financial irregularities agianst Lalit Modi, has been put off by two weeks following a request from the earlier Indian Premier League Commissioner’s attorney Mehmood Abdi.Abdi requested that the sitting, scheduled on Monday and Tuesday at Delhi, be put off following an accident of Modi’s counsel Swadeep Hora, who has been cross—examining the witnesses of the BCCI and the request has been accepted, it was learnt.

Hora met with an accident on Friday evening while he was travelling back to Jaipur and would be unable to conduct the cross examination today and tomorrow as his son has sustained injuries and essential his care and concentration, the Modi camp informed disciplinary panel member Arun Jaitley.The new dates of the hearing have been fixed as December 27 and 28, it was learnt.At the previous hearing on November 22, Modi had raised a technical point that the panel probing charges of financial irregularities allegedly committed by Modi as the IPL chief did not have the mandate of the Board’s AGM held on September 29.

The Board, subsequently, convened a Special General Body Meeting here on December 11 and appointed the same three—man panel consisting of Jaitley, Chirayu Amin and Jyotiraditya Scindia to continue the disciplinary proceedings against Modi.Modi, who is overseas, has not attended in person any of the previous sittings of the panel.