The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is facing criticism for naming its IPL 2025 robotic dog ‘Champak’. A well-known children’s magazine, also named Champak, has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the board.
The case was filed in the Delhi High Court, where the magazine alleged that the BCCI unlawfully used its name. The robotic dog, an AI-powered tool, was launched by the board as part of the current IPL 2025 season.
“This AI tool [robotic dog] has been named as Champak. The IPL has been going on. The product was introduced earlier but it was named later on April 23 purportedly based on fan voting,” said advocate Amit Gupta, who is representing the Delhi Press. (via Times Now)
When the Court inquired how the name’s usage was harming the publishers, Gupta responded that it was being used without permission.
“My magazine is known for animal characters. Let us take the product to be distinct but the very use is causing detriment. It is causing dilution. IPL is a commercial venture,” he stated.
However, the Court, not fully convinced, has sent a notice and set the case for another hearing.
Rohit Sharma Included in BCCI’s Shortlist for Test and ‘A’ Tour of England
India is scheduled to tour England for a five-match Test series in June, immediately after the conclusion of the IPL 2025 season. As per The Times of India, Rohit Sharma has made it to the BCCI’s shortlist of 35 players for the Test and ‘A’ tour of England.
The final teams are expected to be announced by the second week of May, according to the report. A source from the BCCI was quoted as saying:
“Rohit is most likely to travel as the board feels that one needs a strong captain through the series, which is likely to be as tough as the Australia tour. With regard to the middle-order, the team management has shown very little confidence in Sarfaraz Khan’s ability.”
“Nair and Patidar are seasoned red-ball players and are in fine form. It is likely at least one of them will be in the India ‘A’ team. As for Iyer, he was dropped last year based on his poor returns in Test cricket. A final call is yet to be taken.”
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