Narayanswami Srinivasan,Mukul Mudgal

Calcutta: Son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan placed bets and, indeed, was a team official ... Right-hand man Sundar Raman, the IPL’s COO, knew the contact of a bookie and didn’t act against Meiyappan and Raj Kundra... Narayanswami Srinivasan has himself been indicted for not making an example of a player who violated the Code of Conduct.

Hardly the stuff to celebrate.

Yet, Srinivasan’s men have been calling the media to insist that the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman had been hounded without reason for the past year-and-a-half.

The Srinivasan camp is, of course, only focusing on one part of the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel report — that he wasn’t involved with fixing or betting.

But, then, nobody had ever accused Srinivasan (currently effectively suspended as president of the Board) of either betting or fixing. It always was guilt by association.

“So, what’s going to be your headline?” asked somebody particularly close to Srinivasan, soon after portions of the report became public on Monday.

When the Meiyappan and Raman bits were mentioned by The Telegraph, the person was quick to respond: “Hang them, but Srini can’t be the subject of scrutiny any more.”

Without spelling it out in as many words, Srinivasan has already disowned Meiyappan. But despite whispers against Raman, he’d been actively promoting him on the global stage.

Quite a few in the Board have reservations vis-a-vis Raman, but nobody dared say anything because of his solid ties with Srinivasan.

What now?

The president of an affiliated unit of the Board made the point that unless the media “played it up,” the issue of morality and Srinivasan would remain where it stood.

“All along, Srini has argued that he can’t be held accountable for anything done by Meiyappan. That doesn’t change, but the IPL COO’s indictment is an interesting development,” the gentleman said.

The president of another affiliated unit was blunt. “For Srini, it has never been a matter of morality, but legality. He didn’t fix matches, didn’t bet... His bid for a second term as president of the Board can’t be derailed.”

Tuesday’s emergent meeting of the working committee, in Chennai, is expected to hail Srinivasan. Yet again, that is.

Understandably, the focus has been on individuals, but the actions of Meiyappan and Kundra have left the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals exposed.

Are the IPL franchises going to be terminated? Not as long as Srinivasan continues to set the agenda.

Srinivasan has nothing to do with the Royals, but how can only one franchise be damned?

A miracle would be needed for the Super Kings and the Royals to be thrown out of the IPL.