Why Were CSK and RR Banned for Two Years from IPL?

Since 2008, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have participated in the IPL. However, they were excluded from the league in 2016 and 2017.

You must now be curious as to why both teams were not present. As it happened, CSK and RR were banned for two years!

However, why were both teams banned?

Now, let’s find out why CSK and RR were suspended for two years.

With MS Dhoni in the team, CSK was already well-liked by the supporters in the early years. Dhoni had just won the 2007 T20 World Cup as captain of India. Therefore, having a captain like him was very beneficial to CSK.

In the meantime, the Rajasthan Royals were attempting to make a name for themselves among the big players. And when they won the championship in the first season, they stunned everyone. RR was able to shed the role of the underdog thanks to this.

CSK went on to win their first trophy a few seasons later. When they added another one in 2011, it became a double delight.

The Betting Scandal

While the 2013 season had all the entertainment and memorable performances, things were shady behind the scenes. 

But what exactly happened? A betting scandal took place during the season.

And it wasn’t an ordinary scandal, as it had the involvement of a team official of CSK and a co-owner of RR! When the scandal came to light, it shocked everyone.

Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra (RR co-owner) were the respective offenders involved in the 2013 betting saga. Both placed illegal bets on IPL games, including on their own teams.

Meiyappan, in particular, had deeper roots in the scandal. He was CSK’s Team Principal and son-in-law of the team’s owner, N. Srinivasan.

Interestingly, Srinivasan was the then BCCI President while he operated CSK under India Cements. While Srinivasan wasn’t involved in the scandal, it warranted more attention.

As a result, the Supreme Court (SC) of India swooped into action. In October 2013, the SC appointed a three-member committee to investigate the whole matter.

The result? The Mukul Mudgal-led panel found evidence of the involvement of the two accused in betting activities.

Then the SC formed another committee to decide the fate of Meiyappan and Kundra. The committee, led by Justice R. M. Lodha, delivered their decision in July 2015.

The Verdict

After an in-depth investigation, the Justice Lodha Committee handed out harsh punishments to Meiyappan and Kundra. Both received a life ban from any involvement in cricket activities.

But the ban wasn’t limited to the individuals. CSK and RR were also on the receiving end.

So the teams were also involved in betting?

Not really. In fact, they had no connection with the scandal.

Then why were CSK and RR banned?

Since the franchises turned a blind eye to the actions of Meiyappan and Kundra, the Lodha committee pulled them up. While RR later took action against Kundra, CSK tried to disassociate themselves from Meiyappan.

Thus, the lack of action resulted in a two-year ban for CSK and RR. Both teams served the ban across the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

The Impact

The ban meant CSK and RR were out of action for two seasons. This, in turn, brought down their brand value and, of course, their reputation.

In addition, the BCCI introduced stricter regulations about franchise ownership. And the anti-corruption rules were also enhanced.