CSK, RR likely to drag BCCI to court over payment disputes

The BCCI has sent the two franchises invoices for payment of 30% of their annual franchise fee by January 2, despite both teams facing suspension for two years. CSK and RR believe that they must be exempted from this fee until their return to the league in 2018.

“That was our understanding but we are really shocked that we have been asked to pay the fee. If we pay then we must receive the annual grant from the central revenue as well,” a franchise official told the Mumbai Mirror.

CSK and RR were replaced by the Pune franchise, owned by Sanjiv Goenka’s New Rising group, and the Rajkot franchise, owned by the Delhi-based Intex Technologies, for the 2017 and 2018 seasons of the IPL.

“If they don’t pay, there is no punishment. It would be like a two-year sabbatical for them. BCCI would also be considering taking legal help on this matter," a board official was quoted as saying by Zee News.

The BCCI are already tangled in a legal battle in the Madras High Court with present owners of CSK – Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (CSKCL) – who had purchased the IPL franchisee from India Cements.