News India Live, Digital Desk: Just before the IPL 2026 season (which is scheduled to start from March 28), BCCI has won a major legal battle. The Kerala High Court has dismissed as “without any basis” a petition which claimed that the BCCI, being a private body, cannot use the word ‘Indian’ for its tournaments. What were the petitioner’s allegations? The petition, filed by Ashique Karoth, a social activist from Ernakulam, made the following arguments: Private vs National: The petitioner said that BCCI is not a ‘National Sports Federation’ (NSF). Yes, rather it is a private institution. Therefore, it is misleading to call the tournament organized by it as ‘Indian’ Premier League. Violation of Emblems and Names Act: It is alleged that the use of the word ‘Indian’ violates the ‘Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950’ as it gives a false impression of government patronage. Late realization: The petition said that they only recently realized that the IPL is not an official government national tournament. High Court’s harsh comment: “Why after 18 years?” Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Shyam Kumar V.M. The division bench of BCCI took a tough stance while hearing this petition: Irrational claim: The court said that there is no merit in this argument. Why so much delay?: The bench questioned that IPL has been running successfully for the last 18 years, then why did the petitioner suddenly find it “illegal” after so many years? Misuse of PIL: The court dismissed the petition considering it a waste of judicial time. Why was this victory necessary for the BCCI? If the court had Had the name been banned, it could have created huge problems for BCCI: Branding and Logistics: Only a few days are left for the tournament to start. Changing the name would have meant changing advertising, logos and merchandise worth crores overnight. Broadcasting Rights: ‘Indian Premier League’ is a global brand. Any change in the name could lead to legal trouble over international broadcasting agreements.