Star-studded Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals were today suspended from the IPL by a Supreme Court-appointed committee in a clean up of cricket hit by the 2013 betting scam involving their top officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra.
Meiyappan, a former Team Principal of India Cements Ltd (ICL)-owned franchise CSK and Kundra, co-owner of Jaipur IPL that runs Rajasthan Royals (RR), were suspended for life from any matches conducted by BCCI.
Seen as a clean-up of the mess following the worst scandal that broke out two years ago in the popular cricket league, the punishments were handed down by a three-member panel headed by former CJI R M Lodha which was asked by the Supreme Court to decide the quantum of punishments after finding them guilty of betting.
Citing the Supreme Court's observations in its January 22 order, the committee held that the actions of Meiyappan, considered the face of CSK, and Kundra had brought into "disrepute" the game of cricket, BCCI and IPL and they deserved no leniency.
Shocked by the order, the owners of CSK, whose top players include top India players Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, held discussions with their lawyers and have planned to move the apex court against the panel's decision.
Similarly, Rahul Dravid mentored RR, whose players include stand-in India Captain Ajinkya Rahane and Stuart Binny, were also said to be planning moves to seek relief.
Since it is a Supreme Court appointed committee, entrusted with the task of giving the quantum of punishment, experts feel the teams may not get the relief they expect.
