Judge stays Rajasthan Royals expulsion

In what will be a huge blow to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the judge who is arbitrating the IPL versus Rajasthan Royals case, Justice BN Srikrishna, has stayed the axing of the IPL team by the BCCI. According to the judge, the Royals
will now be a part of the IPL for the next week when the next hearing will take place.

Where this causes problems to the BCCI is that the player auctions are being planned for the first week of January and with this ruling the Royals will also be allowed to participate in the same. However, that could mean that if the Royals get axed again later,
those players will again come back into the auction pool and may not have a team to play for.

The judge also ruled that the BCCI cannot make any changes to the rules governing the IPL. He said, “There will be no interference with them [Rajasthan] exercising rights under the franchise agreement. They will be allowed to participate in the auction.”

Unsurprisingly, a happy Rajasthan franchise welcomed the decision. Raghu Iyer, a spokesperson for the franchise said, “We have received the interim order passed by Justice BN Srikrishna, the learned arbitrator who has been appointed by the both parties. We
are extremely grateful for the speed and urgency shown by him, and we are reviewing the order and assessing it’s full implications.”

The news bodes well for the other team which was expelled by the BCCI, Kings XI Punjab. Punjab had also appealed against the BCCI decision and given that the case will be heard by the same arbitrator, there is a good chance that the decision to expel them will
also be stayed. This could mean that the BCCI will have to include both the sides in the player auctions.