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Kochi takes on Lalit Modi

TRIVANDRUM — Before hitting the cricket ground, the Kochi team has locked horns with IPL chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi.

The team franchisee, Rendezvous Sports World Ltd, has set a clash with Modi within 24 hours of signing the franchisee agreement by moving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) against him. The complaint lodged by the team management with BCCI president Shashank Manohar has accused him of plotting against the team. The complaint alleged that Modi had tried to bring disrepute to the team by giving false information about the shareholdings of the members of the Kochi consortium.

Vivek Venugopal, co-owner of the franchisee, told the Khaleej Times that Modi’s action was a clear breach of the confidentiality clause of the franchisee agreement they signed with the IPL chairman on Sunday. “According to IPL norms, details of shareholders of the team cannot be disclosed by the IPL governing body. The law has been dishonored only in the case of Kochi team. This is unfair”, Venugopal pointed out.

The letter addressed to the BCCI president has demanded disciplinary action against Modi for violating the confidentiality clause of the agreement. It has also demanded revelation of the shareholdings of other teams.

The members of the consortium feel that Modi’s action was part of a hidden agenda to take the team to Gujarat. They suspect his hands behind media reports that said that Rendezvous Sports World Ltd had offloaded its 25 per cent stake to some unknown entity for free.

A highly placed source close to the Kochi team told the Khaleej Times that the IPL chairman had tried to delay the signing of the agreement. He inked the pact only after the intervention of the BCCI president and Federal Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.

The source said the team management felt that Modi had tried to sabotage the Kochi team. They suspect that his attempt was to bring Adani Group and Videocon, which unsuccessfully bid for IPL franchisee, into the Kochi consortium.

The source said that Modi had adopted negative approach to the Kochi team throughout. “We have only signed the franchisee agreement. There are lots of things to be done before we could hit the cricket ground. We don’t know how we will be able to work with him in future”, the source added.

The Kochi consortium is hopeful that the BCCI working committee would discuss their complaint and take suitable action against Modi. It is planning to initiate legal action against Modi if the BCCI failed to take action against him.

The source emphatically denied media reports that a federal minister, a former national captain and a current India cricketer were also a part of the Kochi consortium. This is a baseless allegation aimed at sabotaging the team.