JOIN USThe damning revelations made by the Mudgal Committee report were expected to cast a pall of gloom on the IPL auction on Wednesday. But the franchises and IPL officials played down the whole episode.
“There was no truth in all those reports. Justice (retd) Mudgal too has clarified it. The matter will come into court’s consideration on March 7, and the Supreme Court will take a decision on it,” said IPL Chairman Ranjib Biswal while denying reports that Mudgal committee has named six current Indian players in a sealed report submitted to the apex court.
Vijay Mallya, owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, too echoed the sentiments of Biswal. “There is no evidence about the six players. It’s basically a bunch of speculations. The Supreme Court has cleared this auction and there are no concerns,” said Mallya.
“The fact that we are here shows that we are excited, committed in principle and that we believe in the IPL brand. It happens in all sport, these scams and it is unfortunate. The core of the IPL is sound and we should all protect it,” he added.
Preity Zinta, co-owner of Kings XI Punjab, said: “We are not worried about the speculations. The matter is with the court and I am sure the truth will come out. Our job is to focus in the auction that has been cleared by the court.”
Rahul Dravid adopted a far straighter approach on the issue. “A lot of work to be done on the field and behind the scenes. It’s a challenge for everyone involved with this league, and fortunately, we still have some honest persons involved in the system. But yes, it (weeding out corruption) is going to be a challenge for everyone,” said the former Indian captain.