BCCI ordered by SC to pay HPCA Rs. 2.5 crore for hosting the 4th Test

On Friday, the Supreme Court of India directed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to pay a sum of Rs. 2.5 crore to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) for hosting the fourth and final Test of the ongoing India-Australia series. The last Test, which begins on Saturday, will be played at the scenic stadium in Dharamshala.

The BCCI is under a contractual obligation to pay the State Associations for holding Test matches and ODIs. The bench consisting of Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M.Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, which directed the BCCI to pay Rs. 2.5 crore to the HPCA, released the order on Friday.

The order read: “It is directed that the BCCI shall honour the terms and conditions postulated in the contracts with the State Associations in letter and spirit so that there is no impediment in holding the test matches and ODIs.”

Furthermore, the court added that the BCCI should honour its contractual agreements with the State Associations who will be hosting matches during the upcoming IPL. The tournament, which is scheduled to begin on 5th April, will see a total of ten venues hosting 60 matches spanned for almost two months.

In relation to the IPL, the bench also said, “After the (tripartite) contracts are executed (for holding IPL matches), following the principle of parity, the BCCI shall also honour the contractual terms. Needless to say, when we say that BCCI shall honour its commitment, there has to be sincere commitment of honouring the terms and conditions of the contract by all the parties to the contract.”

The focus will shift to Dharamshala as the final Test between India and Australia gets underway on March 25. The four-match Test series is currently level at 1-1. India will look to win the Dharamsala Test and reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy while Australia will try to outsmart the hosts and clinch the series to retain the trophy.