N. Srinivasan likely to return as BCCI chief

According to media reports, BCCI President-in-exile N. Srinivasan is likely to be reinstated at the helm of affairs after a two-judge probe panel found no evidence against the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal which rocked the sixth edition of the sporting event.

The two-member panel consisting of former judges T. Jayaram Chouta, R. Balasubramanian, had submitted their report to the BCCI Working Committee which met to discuss it here today.

"There is no evidence of any wrongdoing found by the judges against Raj Kundra, India Cements and Rajasthan Royals. The report will now be forwarded to the IPL Governing Council which will take a final decision when it meets on August 2 in New Delhi," BCCI vice-President Niranjan Shah told reporters.

At a press conference here, BCCI interim President Jagmohan Dalmiya confirmed that the IPL Governing Council would meet in the capital next month and the Working Committee had discussed the report today, as per the operational rules of the Board.

Dalmiya refused to give detailed information on the report, saying that the report will be made public in due time after a final call on the matter is taken next month.

Though Shah refused to comment on whether Meiyappan has been given a clean chit in the case, media reports are presently suggesting that he could be involved in betting though there was no clear evidence and evading himself from the spot-fixing charges.

Meanwhile, Dalmiya put to rest rumors that suggested that the order of the probe commission was received earlier by confirming that it had come to the BCCI only this morning."The order was received by secretary Sanjay Patel here and it was placed in the afternoon before the Working Committee," he said.

Asked who will chair the August 2 meeting, Dalmiya said, "Let Mr Srinivasan decide. Let Srinivasan take his decision."

The probe panel was mandated to enquire into the roles of Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, who was the Team Prinicipal of Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and its co-owner Raj Kundra in the IPL spot-fixing cases which emerged earlier this year.