Overview
- A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M refused to admit WP(PIL) 52/2026 at the admission stage, declining to treat it as a public interest case.
- The court said it found no merit in the contention that the IPL’s title is illegal, noting the tournament has operated for many years.
- Petitioner Ashique Karoth argued the BCCI is not officially recognised by the Union sports ministry and framed the IPL as a private enterprise to contest use of the term “Indian.”
- The ruling leaves no current legal obstacle to the IPL’s branding or schedule, with the 19th season slated to open on March 28 when Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- Separately, the Karnataka government approved M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to host IPL matches after an expert review and Home Minister sign-off, resolving earlier venue uncertainty.