Rajasthan Royals dragged to Supreme Court; Courtesy - S Sreesanth

Rajasthan Royals have once again found themselves in a muddle and it's related to that man again, S Sreesanth. This time they have been dragged to the Supreme Court. But what’s the case really about? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

So, the story begins in 2012, when the Royals filed an insurance claim for over ₹82 lakh after Sreesanth was ruled out of that IPL season due to a knee injury he suffered during a practice match.

But the insurance company rejected the claim. Apparently, they weren’t buying the “he got injured in practice” story. They claimed that Sreesanth had already been carrying a toe injury since 2011, which would’ve ruled him out of the 2012 season anyway. And this, according to them, was something the Royals hadn’t disclosed at the time of taking the policy.

Still, Rajasthan Royals stood firm on their position. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission then ruled in favor of the Royals and ordered the insurance company to pay the claim.

But now, the insurance company has appealed that decision in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has asked for Sreesanth’s fitness certificate to determine whether the pre-existing toe injury was ever disclosed. They’ve also said that if the insurance company was aware of this toe injury, then they shouldn’t have insured Sreesanth in the first place.

What happens next is anybody’s guess — but one thing’s for sure: this Sreesanth chapter just keeps coming back to haunt Rajasthan Royals.

In the Supreme Court hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing United Insurance Company, argued that the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) had failed to properly consider the key issue — Sreesanth’s pre-existing toe injury. She claimed this injury had no connection to the knee injury he sustained during the insurance period.

The insurance company’s main contention was that the Rajasthan Royals failed to disclose Sreesanth’s prior toe injury at the time of taking the insurance policy — a non-disclosure that could have affected the terms of coverage.

On the other side, Senior Advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the IPL franchise, argued that the toe injury did not render Sreesanth unfit to play. He emphasized that it was the knee injury — suffered during a practice session after the insurance had been activated — that made him unfit for the 2012 IPL season.

Kaul contended that the very purpose of the insurance policy was to compensate a team if a player is injured during the tournament and thus unable to play, thereby causing a financial liability to the franchise.

He further submitted that the franchise had provided a fitness certificate when Sreesanth joined, and another after the knee injury occurred.

In response, Justice Mehta asked whether that fitness certificate disclosed the existence of the toe injury. The bench also orally noted that if the pre-existing injury had been disclosed, the insurer could have either chosen not to insure the player or charged a higher premium.

The court was informed that Rajasthan Royals had taken a 'Special Contingency Insurance for Player Loss of Fees Cover' for the 2012 IPL season, with a total sum insured of ₹8.7 crore from United India Insurance.

Under this policy, the insurer was liable to compensate the franchise for payments made or payable to players who couldn’t appear in the tournament — provided the reason for absence fell within the defined coverage, such as injuries sustained during the policy period.

The policy was effective from March 28, 2012, and coincidentally, on the very same day, Sreesanth suffered a knee injury during a practice match in Jaipur. Following treatment, he was declared unfit for the 2012 season.

Subsequently, the franchise filed a claim of ₹82.8 lakh on September 17, 2012, for loss of player fees. A surveyor appointed by the insurance firm noted that the injury was indeed due to a "sudden, unforeseen, and unexpected event" — and fell within the scope of the policy.