Interim BCCI-IPL President Sunil Gavaskar has appointed HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh as his special advisor for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The cricket board said in a statement that Parekh will be a special invitee to the Governing Council meetings of the IPL. This is one of the first important decisions taken by Gavaskar, who was appointed interim president of the BCCI-IPL by the Supreme Court after N Srinivasan was asked to step down pending the IPL spot-fixing enquiry. IPL has been embroiled in a match-fixing and betting scandal since last year.

Parekh is also an active member of various high-power economic groups, government-appointed advisory committees and task forces.

Gavaskar’s statement

In a statement, Gavaskar said, “Parekh is a diverse combination of skills and experience.

“This appointment will result in a well-rounded senior management team at the IPL — one that will set the direction for a better and bigger league.”

Parekh said: “I look forward to fulfilling this challenging new role on the IPL’s senior leadership team as an advisor to Gavaskar, as we look to strengthen the Indian Premier League.”