IPL// Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), two of the Indian Premier League's (IPL’s) most popular teams are in a fix as their owners have been banned from the world’s most watched T20 league. In a recent order, a panel of former judges appointed by the Supreme Court of India said the companies that owned the two teams stand banned for two years. This is the punishment meted out to the team owners who have been accused of betting on the results of cricket matches, despite being direct participants in the game.

The committee has also banned for life Gurunath Meiyappan, a former team official of CSK, and Raj Kundra, a former RR co-owner, from any involvement in cricket matches. With their owners banned, the teams cannot play in the IPL in their current state. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which manages cricket in India, is studying the order. The Board is also in a fix since the two teams are extremely popular (CSK is headed by M S Dhoni, the India ODI captain). Moreover, removing two teams will reduce the scale of the next IPL tournament, which will be played in April-May 2016.

a unit. Else, the teams may get broken up as individual players are picked by other teams – after all, no player would like to sit out of the tournament for two years.

Reports in newspapers say that CSK will appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court. However, given that the panel was headed by Justice R M Lodha, who used to be Chief Justice of India, it seems unlikely that the punishment will change.