Raj Kundra Suspended By BCCI For Fixing In IPL

BCCI disciplinary committee to issue show-cause notices to 3 players – S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.

Mumbai Cricket Association president Ravi Sawant has been appointed Treasurer of the BCCI. He takes over from Maharashtra Cricket Associations Ajay Shrike, who had resigned in protest.

BCCI have suspended Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra from having any involvement in cricket till the probe is over. The Delhi police commissioner had said that Kundra had confessed to betting on IPL matches and it looks like the BCCI has gone with that in taking this decision. No action has been taken against the team for now. The decision was taken in the BCCI’s working committee meet in Delhi.

Kundra and his wife Shilpa Shetty have 11.7% stakes in Rajasthan Royals through Kuki Investment. Suresh Chellaram and Family (Tresco International Limited) have the bulk of the shares with 44.2% while Manoj Badale (Emerging Media) has 32.4% stakes. Lachlan Murdoch (Blue Water Estate Limited) has 11.7% stakes.

The Rajasthan Royals have already said in a statement that Kundra will be forced to sell his stake if he is found guilty. Raj Kundra’s Lawyer Majeed Memon told CNN-IBN, “Gross injustice, BCCI should have asked him before taking action. It appears to be a rash decision, done without a showcause.”

Memon further added: Let BCCI send us a letter then we will decide what to do. This is ridiculous.”

The BCCI hasn’t taken any action against the Chennai Super Kings either.

According to NDTV sources, the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit chief Ravi Sawani has submitted interim report on IPL scam; recommends life ban for the three tainted players – S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.

Meanwhile, ESPNCricinfo reported that board president N Srinivasan is likely to be dropped from the disciplinary committee which also has Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah, both vice-presidents of the BCCI.

Ahead of the crucial meet, BCCI officials made it clear that there was ‘no proof’ against Kundra. But, according to the Times of India, the BCCI probe commission will still investigate all possible angles to determine whether the claims made by Delhi Police on Kundra are valid in a court of law or not.

Dalmiya had said a new BCCI treasurer would be named “in a day or two”. Now, there is talk that the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Ravi Sawant may get the job.

According to Times Now sources, BCCI considering life ban for tainted trio – Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila. Is it too early to consider a ban? Nothing has been proved yet.

An emergency working committee meeting of the BCCI is going to be held on 10 June to discuss the issue of Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra’s alleged involvement in betting in the Indian Premier League (IPL), board’s interim chief Jagmohan Damiya announced on Thursday and promised ‘strict action’ if warranted.

Announcing the decision at a media meet, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya named Sanjay Patel of the Baroda Cricket Association as the new secretary to replace Sanjay Jagdale, who has resigned.

Dalmiya also announced that the BCCI would look into the alleged conflict of interest issue concerning Indian captain MS Dhoni’s stakes in a sports management firm after the ongoing Champions Trophy tournament and promised there would be no cover-up.

Iterating that no board member should be part of the commission formed to probe the allegations of betting in the IPL against BCCI chief N Srinivasan’s son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings chief executive officer Gurunath Meiyappan, Dalmiya said it would now be a two-member body, comprising retired judges appointed earlier. He also refused to announce a time-frame for the panel to submit its report.

The commission originally had three members. However, Jagdale quit last week.

The emergency working committee meeting on the Kundra issue would be held in Delhi.

“After we have all the details, look into all the details… and if it demands any strict action, we will look into it,” Dalmiya said.

Delhi Police officials grilled Kundra for 10 hours Wednesday, and later claimed he had admitted to betting in the IPL. Kundra claimed he was just helping Delhi Police Crime Branch in the IPL spot fixing investigations.

Though Delhi Police claimed Kundra’s film star wife Shilpa Shetty, a part owner of the Jaipur-based team, had also bet on at least one match, Dalmiya said he had no such knowledge.

When a journalist quoted Clause 11.3 (C) of the BCCI-IPL franchise agreement that calls for annulling the agreement with a franchisee if its owner brought the board or IPL to disrepute, Dalmiya said: “How do you come to a decision unless you look into it?”

Dalmiya said retired high court judges T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramaniam appointed earlier would constitute the probe commission.

“After Jagdale resigned, it has become a two-member commission. I have decided that let it be a two-member commission. We would not like it to curtail it by saying the time limit starts now, and finishes now”.

Assuring that the probe would not be an eye-wash, he said: “We want cricket to be cleaned, run properly.”

Asked whether Rajasthan Royals would come under the ambit of the probe, Dalmiya said: “That is what we have to wait (for). Let’s see how the panel proceeds and what outcome it comes out with.”

Dalmiya said the BCCI has sought information from the Mumbai and Delhi Police regarding an interim report submitted by board’s Anti-Corruption and Security unit chief Ravi Sawani on the spot fixing scandal, but neither of them has responded so far.

On the conflict of interest issue concerning Dhoni, he said: “At this juncture, when we are in the midst of Champions Trophy, nothing we are going to earn by disturbing him. But at the same time, we are not going to cover it up. Please wait and see.”

Dhoni courted a controversy recently following reports that he held a 15 percent stake in Rhiti Sports, which also manages Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha, besides the Indian skipper.

Dalmiya said a new BCCI treasurer would be named “in a day or two”.

The posts had fallen vacant after Jagdale and then treasurer Ajay Shirke quit to protest Srinivasan’s refusal to step down after his son-in-law’s arrest.

Pepsi IPL 6 Song Featuring Chris Gayle - Pepsi Oh Yes Abhi!

A marauding Chris Gayle, who fashioned Royal Challengers Bangalore to a thumping 21-run win over Delhi Daredevils in an IPL match, said that it was the body balance which was helped him score sixes.

“The secret behind those sixes was good balance and it helps to have a pitch where the ball comes up to the bat. Hope I continue like this in the tournament,” Gayle, who hit an unbeaten 128 with the help of 13 sixes and seven fours in his 62-ball knock, said.

Asked about any particular change in his batting, he said he decided not to move around much.

“It’s natural, trying not to move around. A couple of innings have me moving around which did not help. Thanks to Virat Kohli for his support at the other end,” he said.

He also said that he wanted to preserve his wicket and stay longer for the sake of the team.

Gayle and Kohli after the match. PTI

“Maiden over is okay, as long as I am there till the end. If I stay longer it helps to get the runs for the team, ” he added.

Reminded that the world record maximum number of sixes in a Twenty20 match is 16, Gayle joked, “Somebody should have told me that and I should have gone for it.”

RCB captain Virat Kohli praised Gayle for his explosive innings.

“It was exciting game of cricket, good pitch to bat on. Batting with Chris is a wonderful experience, lot of them could have taken my head off at the non-striker’s end,” he said.

“We need to win the last game to make it to the play-offs,” he said.

Daredevils skipper Mahela Jayawardene sought to draw the positives from the loss, saying that his side played good cricket.

“We played well and can take a lot of positives from the match. We have played enough Twenty20 cricket to realise this kind of loss happens and we need to just try and improve from here,” said Jayawardene.

Asked about Gayle’s innings which took the game away from the Daredevils, Jayawardene said, “He is in tremendous form, especially on a small ground like this. It was always going to be difficult to contain him.

“Still we could have chase it down. Unfortunately we could not.”

On some key players not playing today, he said, “Morne was the only player rested, Viru was sick, we needed to give Andre Russell a chance.”

     

PTI