The Bombay High Court on Friday extended the deadline for IPL teams to submit the list of “marquee” players they wish to retain by two days to December 8, thereby giving a major reprieve to Kings XI Punjab.
The Mohali team, along with Rajasthan Royals, moved the high court against Board for Control of Cricket India’s (BCCI) decision to terminate their contract and had requested the court to extend the deadline for player’s retention.
While the Royals have already got a stay on the termination order for six weeks from independent arbitrator Justice (retired) BN Srikrishna, Kings XI failed to get any reprieve since the judge had recused himself from the hearing and had requested the court to extend the deadline.
Justice SJ Vazifdar upheld the plea on Friday despite protests from the BCCI’s counsel.
Under the player’s retention formula, each IPL franchisee can nominate four players from their earlier season’s squad to be retained by December 6. Kings XI’s contention was that if the deadline were not extended, the player’s would not be willing to negotiate with them till the termination was either stayed or revoked.
BCCI’s justification for throwing the two teams out of the IPL has been that the promoters of the franchisees had changed their shareholding patterns without the prior approval of the sport’s governing body.
{{/usCountry}}BCCI’s justification for throwing the two teams out of the IPL has been that the promoters of the franchisees had changed their shareholding patterns without the prior approval of the sport’s governing body.
{{/usCountry}}‘Modi in the know’
However, Kings XI counsel Additional Solicitor General Darius Khambatta countered BCCI’s logic saying that the then IPL Chairman Lalit Modi “who was the face of IPL”, was aware of the changes in the ownership pattern of Kings XI. He also argued that Modi had given his consent to the changes after being informed about the same by actor Preity Zinta, one of the co-owners of Kings XI.
BCCI’s lawyer, on the other, said they did not accept the copy of Modi’s endorsement on which Kings XI was relying and therefore it was not a valid consent from the cricket body.
The high court would continue to hear the arguments on December 6.