BCCI Accused Of Misusing IPL Name; Court Verdict Issued Before 2026 Season

IPL Trophy and Arun Singh Dhumal [Source: X]

The Indian Premier League have been startled with a Public Interest Litigation just a week ahead of its inaugural match. The mega tournament of India faced a legal ban on the usage of its name, “Indian Premier League” with the PIL proposer suggesting the name as ‘illegal’.

While it comes as a shock for many, the Board of Control for Cricket in India have been using the name since the inception of the mega tournament back in 2008. The petitioner for the legal case has raised objections to the unfair usage of the ‘Indian’ word since it is not the official cricket tournament of the country.

Who Coined The Name 'Indian Premier League'?

The name Indian Premier League was coined by the founder of the tournament, Lalit Modi, who is the former vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The tournament was conceived back in 2007 as a direct response to the Indian Cricket League, as the BCCI launched the IPL on September 13, 2007, adopting a franchise-based Twenty20 format of cricket.

The inaugural season of the tournament was in 2008, taking inspiration from the English Premier League's franchise model. Now, questions are being raised about the credibility of the title, given the fact that the petitioner in the Kerala High Court, Ashique Karoth, has filed a PIL against it.

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Kerala High Court Rules In Favour Of BCCI

After Ashique Karoth, the social worker, contended that the use of the name was illegal, a bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. ruled out the argument.

"We find no merit in the substance of the said argument and hence we do not feel that it would be proper to keep this writ petition as a public interest litigation," the bench said.

The court effectively dismissed the PIL challenging the BCCI's wrongdoing, ruling that the petition lacked legal substance and failed to establish that the name violates the Emblems and Names Act, 1950.

Overall, the court stated that the petition, filed after nearly two decades of the tournament's operation, lacks merit and does not constitute a valid public interest, thereby affirming the BCCI's right to use the brand.

IPL 2026 To Kick Off From March 28

Meanwhile, IPL 2026 is set to kick off from March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore ready to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the inaugural clash. With teams preparing at their respective camps, the two-month-long tournament is set to grace television screens with a two-phase schedule.

The IPL has released the schedule for the first phase until April 12, while the remainder of the fixtures will be announced later due to the ongoing elections in several states. However, this is not expected to impact the smooth conduct of the tournament, as adjustments will be made in accordance with both the cricketing and election schedules.

With all 10 teams geared up for competition, this marks the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League, where franchises like Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders will once again aim to assert their dominance after years of success.

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