Indian Premier League Chair Rajeev Shukla said on Thursday that "the controversy-ridden league remains a 'robust' product, insisting that the event will come back stronger with a minimum of eight teams," according to the PTI.
Shukla, among a host of questions, "was asked about the future of IPL and the number of teams it will have after the two-year suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals." He said,
"IPL is a robust product and this judgement (suspension of teams) should not affect IPL as a product. The idea is to have the tournament in full format with a minimum of eight teams. We can't hold the event with six teams." Shukla said that "there are many options available for the road ahead for the IPL, something he will discuss with the Governing Council in Mumbai on Sunday." He said that one of the options "is to run two suspended teams with BCCI control" (PTI, 7/16). The PTI also reported Justice Lodha, who headed the committee that proposed a two-year suspension of the two teams, has said that "the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) is free to terminate the IPL franchises." Justice Lodha's clarification "came in the wake of some confusion over the committee's proposal, specifically over the extent to which the BCCI can act against the two franchises as follow-up to the committee's decision." He said, "It is for the BCCI to consider terminating the teams and the Supreme Court judgment is clear on that. The BCCI can do that" (PTI, 7/15).
