Team India to play Champions Trophy

India will participate in the Champions Trophy next month and the team will be selected on Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced.

The BCCI’s Special General Body Meeting (SGM), held here on Sunday, took the decision, ending days of uncertainty. The BCCI had delayed the clearance of the team because of its strong objection to the new governance and financial models of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

However, with the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) issuing a stern directive to the BCCI to announce the team besides holding meetings with the state associations on Saturday, the outcome was more or less decided.

The CoA has been stressing the need to negotiate with the ICC rather than adopting an unbending attitude. Thus, the SGM put the thought of sending a legal notice — over the breach of Members Participation Agreement — on the back-burner, at least for now. It authorised acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary to negotiate with the ICC and get the best deal for the Indian board.

Choudhary, meanwhile, emphatically stated the move should not be perceived as BCCI throwing in the towel. “We have not conceded anything at all. Let that be absolutely, unequivocally clear. That the BCCI concedes nothing. And in any case, there is adequate legal room for further action, he said.

The BCCI would soon be conveying to the ICC its stance. Choudhary said fresh negotiations with the ICC don’t have to wait till its annual conference in June this year.

CoA head Vinod Rai, who was in Delhi to attend the IPL governing council meeting, said players were aware they would be playing in the tournament. “Of course I am relieved that they are playing the Champions Trophy... I had spoken to Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli and assured them they would be playing in the Champions Trophy,” Rai said.