If kept out of IPL 5, we will seek stay on the tournament

Cricket suffered a setback in God's Own Country last September when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sacked the IPL franchise, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, citing "irreparable differences" and leaving the state out of the Twenty20 fold.

However, the Tuskers are still breathing and looking to get back on their feet. They insist that the board has been adequately paid - by way of hefty bank guarantees - and the co-owners are willing to pay for the coming year too. All they want is that the franchise should be reinstated and if not, they are "already seeking legal options".

"If we are kept out of IPL 5, we will go to court and seek a stay on the tournament," says one of the team's co-owners in an email reply to a TOI questionnaire.

On Monday, the beleaguered franchise received a shot in the arm when Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy stepped forward to lend his support. "I will try my best to retain the Kerala IPL team. I will also talk to the BCCI president and see if the issue can be amicably resolved," Chandy said even as the franchise co-owners spent the last couple of weeks planning their way ahead.

The co-owners have already sent a notice to the BCCI seeking arbitration, which was reported by TOI last week. However, the board is yet to respond to the notice and the franchise is waiting before asserting its next move.

"At no point we want to be a hindrance for players and their careers. Therefore, we will not do anything that may put the February 4 auction in jeopardy. All we want to say is that the way we've been treated is unfair and the team should be reinstated," says an investor in the franchise.

The co-owners also go on to cite the income that BCCI received by way of having the Kochi Tuskers on board. "Our one year's installment (Rs 156 crore) is equal to what the least costly franchise is scheduled to pay over 10 years. It is equal to the installments of what four to five franchises pay each year," claims the investor.

It is learnt that the chief minister met up with officials of the Rendezvous Sports World (RSW) and assured them his support. "At no point of time have we intended to offend the BCCI. We won the bid fair and square, so the point is why do they want us out?" asks another franchise official.

The franchise makes it very clear that if the BCCI does not allow Kochi Tuskers Kerala to play in IPL 5, then the owners will have no choice than approach the courts and seek a stay on the tournament. The BCCI, which is already neck deep in legal tangles, certainly won't be looking to add another one to the growing list.

The BCCI encashed bank guarantees to the tune of Rs 156 crore after terminating the Kochi contract. The co-owners are willing to deposit the same amount once again before a deadline given by BCCI if they're allowed to play.



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