BCCI, Rajasthan Royals to take dispute to arbitration

Mumbai:

Board of Control for Cricket in India and Rajasthan Royals are set to take their dispute over termination of IPL franchisee contract to Justice B N Srikrishna for arbitration, while Kings XI Punjab too is willing to use his services.

Royals - the franchisee in which Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty has a stake - moved the Bombay High Court last month when BCCI terminated its franchisee contract alleging that the former changed its share-holding pattern without informing the BCCI.

The cricket body also terminated the contract with Kings XI, in which actor Preity Zinta and industrialist Ness Wadia have stakes, on similar grounds.

Today, when the matter came up before Justice S J Vazifdar, Royal's lawyer senior counsel Janak Dwarkadas said that Royals and the BCCI have agreed to submit the dispute for arbitration, with Justice Srikrishna as "sole arbitrator".

Justice Srikrishna, a former Supreme Court judge, is mainly known for heading the commission which probed the 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai.

Royals had stated at the earlier hearing too that it was in favour of arbitration, as provided by the contract.

Senior counsel Darius Khambata then said that his client, Kings XI, too had similar grievance against BCCI and the court may club the two cases.

Further, Khambata said even Kings XI was willing to accept Justice Srikrishna as the arbitrator as its petition too seeks to evoke the arbitration clause in the franchisee contract with BCCI.

However, BCCI's stand in this regard was not known, he said.

The court then adjourned the hearing on both the petitions to November 18, when BCCI may make clear its stand vis-a-vis Kings XI.