In a significant blow to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Bombay High Court on Wednesday upheld the arbitration award directing the board to pay ₹538 crore to the now-defunct Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
The court dismissed BCCI’s petition challenging the 2015 arbitral decision, which had ruled in favour of the franchise.
Despite multiple requests for comment, BCCI officials remained unavailable.
The controversy dates back to 2011 when BCCI terminated the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise after just one season.
The board alleged that the franchise breached its contract by failing to provide a mandatory bank guarantee.
The franchise, bought for ₹1,550 crore in 2010, was unable to meet its financial obligations due to internal disputes among its owners.
This led to the matter to arbitrated, which ruled in favour of Kochi Tuskers.
In 2015, the arbitrator directed BCCI to pay ₹538 crore—₹384 crore to Kochi Cricket Private Limited (KCPL) and ₹153 crore to Rendezvous Sports World, the franchise owners.
Unhappy with the decision, BCCI challenged the arbitral award under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. However, the High Court upheld the arbitrator’s decision.
Justice Manish Pitale, in his ruling, clarified the court’s limited jurisdiction under Section 34.
“The BCCI’s attempt to revisit the merits of the dispute goes beyond the permissible scope of review under the Arbitration Act,” the court stated. “Dissatisfaction with the findings on evidence or merits cannot justify overturning the award.”
Kochi Tuskers Kerala participated in just one IPL season—in 2011—finishing eighth among ten teams. Despite their brief stint, the franchise has remained at the centre of one of IPL’s most prolonged legal battles.
The Bombay High Court’s ruling now puts an end to BCCI’s decade-long legal resistance, reinforcing the binding nature of arbitration in sports governance.
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