Chennai Super Kings, led by India’s one-day international captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Rajasthan Royals, skippered by star Australian batsman Steve Smith, were the two franchises punished by the Rajendra Mal Lodha panel in a massive blow to the eight-team tournament.
Gurunath Meiyappan — the son-in-law of the Chennai franchise owner and the current boss of the International Cricket Council Narayanaswami Srinivasan — was suspended for life from cricket-related activities.
A similar suspension was imposed on Raj Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan team and husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.
“Their conduct has affected the image of the game, the players and others associated with the tournament,” Lodha, a former chief justice, told reporters while revealing his panel’s verdict.
Asked about the financial losses of players from the two teams, Lodha said: “We did not consider financial losses to players and teams. That is not significant. The integrity of the game is what matters.” – AFP
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