Delhi High Court: In a petition filed by the franchise holder of Konark Surya Orissa (petitioner), a team participating in the ‘Legends League Cricket’, to seek urgent relief under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, a Single Judge Bench of Sachin Datta, J. stayed the decisions of the Apex Council and the Event Technical Committee (‘ETC’) whereby the final score of the match in question had been changed.
Background
‘Legends League Cricket’ is a professional cricket league in India which is owned and organized by Absolute Legends Sports Pvt. Ltd. (‘Absolute Legends’) (respondent 1). On 05-09-2022, Absolute Legends and the erstwhile franchise holder of Konark Surya Orissa entered into an agreement that contained a dispute resolution clause.
On 20-09-2024, a match was played between the petitioner’s team and Manipal Tigers (respondent 2) at Barkatullah Stadium, Jodhpur. The petitioner’s team won the match and the official score card showed Manipal Tigers’ final score as 102/8 in 20 overs and the petitioner’s team’s final score as 104/9.
The aforesaid result was confirmed by the match officials including the on-field umpire, third umpire, and the match referee. However, on 21-09-2024, Manipal Tigers submitted a letter to the officials of Legends League Cricket — Season 3 and alleged that a scoring error occurred in the match. It was also said that Manipal Tigers’ score was wrongly recorded as 102/8 instead of 104/8.
It was further contended that the alleged error occurred in the 11th over of the match wherein, it was stated that, eight runs were scored but the official score card omitted two runs which were scored in the said over. The petitioner, in its reply, said that the protest made by the Manipal Tigers was invalid because the match was already over and the result for the same had been declared.
Thereafter, the issue was referred to the ETC of the league to determine the correct state of affairs and to decide this issue. The ETC sought to treat the case as an ‘exceptional case’ and changed the score to reflect that it was a ‘Tie Match’. By virtue of ETC’s decision, the points that had been awarded to the petitioner’s team, were directed to be shared between the two teams.
Subsequently, the petitioner protested and approached the Apex Council of Legends League Cricket wherein two out of the four members were part of the ETC. The Apex Council, through communication dated 05-10-2024, upheld the ruling of ETC and referred to its decision being in the ‘spirit of fair play’. Thus, the petitioner filed the present petition.
Analysis and Decision
The Court said that the ‘commitment to fair play’, which was invoked to change the result of the match, could never justify the relevant Rules of the Legends League Cricket Playing Conditions to be disregarded. On the contrary, it was said that the ‘commitment to fair play’ required that the Rules be scrupulously followed.
The Court noted that Rule 16.9 clearly stated that the result could not be changed after it had been declared at the conclusion of the match. It was said that the rationale for the said Rule was obvious because live matches are dynamic wherein the situation changes rapidly from moment to moment. Further, the Court stated that the teams and players respond to the challenges presented at different stages of the match by adapting themselves to the requirement at a particular time on the basis of the situation reflected in the official scoreboard.
Thus, the Court stated that it was not suitable to retrospectively change the result of the match in the guise of rectifying a scoring mistake in the 11th over of Manipal Tigers’ innings.
The Court stated that the decision by the ETC as well as the Apex Council to change the result, was not in consonance with the applicable Rules. The Court said that it was ironic that the Rules had been disregarded in the guise of ‘the spirit of the game’ which had been seriously undermined by such retrospective tinkering of the result.
Considering all the aspects contended by the petitioner, the Court directed a stay on the communications dated 05-10-2024 and 23-09-2024 by the Apex Council and ETC respectively.
The matter has been further listed on 15-10-2024.
[Mriksha Corporation Pvt. Ltd. v. Absolute Legends Sports Pvt. Ltd., 2024 SCC OnLine Del 7146, Decided on 09-10-2024]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For Petitioner — Advocate Rishi Awasthi, Advocate Piyush Vatla, Advocate Avinash Ankit, Advocate Rahul Raj Mishra, Advocate Rahul Kumar Gupta
For Respondents — None
Buy Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 HERE
