Deccan Chargers eye a comeback in IPL

Deccan Chargers have taken a cue from Kochi Tuskers and are hopeful of a comeback in the next edition of the Pepsi IPL. The Lodha committee’s decision to suspend Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two years have given a new hope to terminated teams to make a comeback.

After Kochi Tuskers who were terminated in 2011 won an arbitration against the board which raised their hopes of a return to IPL fold, it seems to be the turn of the 2009 champions to make an attempt for a re-entry. TOI has learnt that the team’s final arbitration against BCCI is due later this month and the Chargers, removed from the IPL roster in 2012, are confident of a positive outcome.

“The final arbitration is likely to be held later this month. DC owners are confident of winning the arbitration and eventually returning to IPL,” said a source.

The sole arbitrator in this case is retired Supreme Court Justice CK Thakkar. If the arbitrator rules in favour of the Chargers, the franchise could be tempted to float a team from a different city than Hyderabad (since the city already has an IPL team in Sunrisers Hyderabad), said a source close to the developments.

“If they win the case they could get a huge sum from BCCI. If the board is supposed to give Kochi, just a one-year-old team, around Rs 600 crore, imagine the amount that Chargers will get,” he added.

The owners of Deccan Chargers, Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd (DCHL) had to sell the franchise in September 2012 due to financial problems. The auction for the franchise went in vain as the team’s owners rejected the sole bid they received from PVP Ventures. Later, BCCI terminated the DC franchise for breaching contract terms, and invited tenders for a new team from Hyderabad.