Hope fades: BCCI might terminate Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals

Despite the popular support against it, things may just be set to get worse for IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. After being suspended for two years by the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee, a report says the BCCI might terminate the contracts of the two franchises. A report in The Times of India says that the BCCI is looking at inviting fresh tenders for two new franchises after terminating contracts of CSK and RR. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur told the newspaper that termination were “as much an option” as auctioning two new teams. [caption id=“attachment_2384790” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture of CSK Players. PTI[/caption] However, while BCCI works on the possible termination, there is the possibility of a legal backlash from the franchises. The IPL governing council will meet on 29 August in Mumbai to study the IPL working group report. On Saturday, the Working Group set up to look into the implementation of the findings of Lodha Committee report on IPL spot-fixing scandal met representatives of Mumbai Indians and KXIP co-owner Ness Wadia, who stated that he is not in favour of inviting foreign teams to fill the void. Rajeev Shukla said that all the franchises have spoken in favour of an eight-team tournament. The working group completed meeting all six franchises as the two suspended franchises CSK and Rajasthan Royals were not invited for discussions. Last month, Justice RM Lodha, who headed the committee that proposed a two-year suspension of the two teams – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals – had said that the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) is free to terminate the IPL franchises. “It is for the BCCI to consider terminating the teams and the Supreme Court judgment is clear on that. The BCCI can do that,” Justice Lodha had told NDTV.