Why was CSK Banned for 2 Years in the IPL?

In what was a huge blot in the history of Indian Cricket, and which posed a huge question mark on the integrity of key stakeholders in the Indian Premier League (IPL), two champion franchises in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were banned in July 2015, from partaking in the next two editions (IPL 2016 and IPL 2017) of the cash-rich T20 league.

The huge decision was a result of the involvement in corrupt practices of two key officials of the franchises in Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, both of who were banned for life from being involved in any Cricket-related activities. While Meiyappan is the son-in-law of CSK‘s owner and then BCCI president N Srinivasan, Kundra was the co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals.

The punishment was handed out by a three-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court of India, led by the former Chief Justice of India R M Lodha.

Why was CSK Banned for 2 Years in the IPL?

The reason dates back to the year 2013 when three Rajasthan Royals players in S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan, and Ajit Chandila were arrested by the Delhi Police over charges of ‘fraud and cheating’, or simply for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing during IPL 2013.

Just a week after the arrests, on May 24, Gurunath Meiyappan, as a result of thorough investigation was arrested by the Mumbai police over charges of betting and trading of insider information of the franchise to the bookies during IPL 2013.

In February 2014, the Supreme Court- appointed panel officially charged Meiyappan for the above mentioned crime, and with it CSK’s future looked bleak, with consistent calls for the franchise be scrapped and N Srinivasan to step down as BCCI president gathering intensity.

While a two-member BCCI panel had in July that year, found “no wrongdoing” by the concerned IPL team owners, the R M Lodha led committee, a year later, refused to look at the acts of Gurunath and Raj Kundra as ones which should not take into purview the franchise as a whole.

It thus pronounced the verdict that both CSK and RR would be handed a two-year ban from taking part in the Indian Premier League.

RM Lodha panel came down heavily on Meiyappan and India Cements

The panel believed that Meiyappan had caused “huge injury” to the image of the game, and that the India Cements (CSK team owner) had done nothing to ensure a strict action against its official.

“If the reputation and image of the sport are lost, what remains? Being 40 years of age, he is not young but middle-aged. It is difficult to accept that he has passion for the game,” the panel remarked while referring to Meiyappan.

Was CSK banned for fixing IPL matches?

No. Contrary to a popular belief held by a significant section of fans for around a decade now, CSK was not banned over charges of match fixing.

The team had to bear the brunt for the betting activities/corrupt practices of an official of the franchise, and the severity of the punishment was only for the greater good of Cricket, in an attempt to keep its image clean and make sure such practices are not repeated in the future.

“There is a current feeling that all matches in the IPL are fixed, which is a totally wrong feeling. I can only think that this step will restore people’s confidence in the game of cricket and in the IPL,” remarked Former High Court Judge Mukul Mudgal, who had led the three-member committee set up to inquire the illegal betting and spot-fixing case during IPL 2013.