Top IPL teams back after 2 years ban

Two popular Indian Premier League teams- Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, will be back in action next year after serving a two-year ban over a scandal that involved illegal betting on matches, the cricket board said Friday. A Supreme Court appointed panel had barred Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the Twenty20 competition in 2015, saying such a punishment was needed to protect the integrity of the game.

Royals' co-owner Raj Kundra, husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, and Gurunath Meiyappan, of the Chennai franchise, were banned for life from cricket-related activities. BCCI Friday welcomed the teams back into the fold, saying the tournament will be "enriched" by their return. The IPL, which is broadcast around the world, is hugely popular in India with its mix of sport and showbiz.

-AFP, New Delhi