The Rajasthan Royals cricket team has been embroiled in a decade-long legal battle with United India Insurance Company over an injury claim for former player S Sreesanth. The case dates back to 2012, when Sreesanth suffered a knee injury during a practice match, causing him to miss the season. The Royals had taken out a special contingency insurance cover worth over ₹8.7 crore and filed a claim of approximately ₹82.8 lakh to recover player fees for Sreesanth’s missed season.
However, the insurer denied the claim, arguing that Sreesanth had a pre-existing toe injury from 2011 that was not disclosed at the time of the policy. The insurer contended that this omission invalidated the Royals’ claim, despite an independent surveyor initially ruling that the knee injury was a sudden and unforeseen event covered by the policy.
The Royals’ defence argued that the old toe issue never kept Sreesanth from playing, and the knee injury suffered during the insured period was the sole reason for his absence. The team’s lawyer, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, maintained that fitness certificates were provided both when Sreesanth joined the squad and after he sustained the knee injury, underscoring that the franchise had complied with its disclosure obligations.
The case has now reached the Supreme Court, with the insurer challenging a previous ruling in favour of the Royals by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC). The Supreme Court has asked the insurance firm to produce additional documents, including Sreesanth’s fitness certificates and the original policy application, before a final decision is made.
The outcome of this legal battle will not only decide a long-pending financial claim but could also set an important precedent for how future player insurance disputes in the Indian Premier League (IPL) are handled. The case highlights the complex intersection of professional sports, insurance law, and medical disclosure, and its resolution will be closely watched by the sports and insurance industries.