The board's change of tack had had nothing to do with India winning the inaugural Twenty20 world championships in South Africa in September, an event Indian officials once strongly opposed, and everything to do with the unveiling of the unofficial multi-million-dollar ICL in May.
A concerned BCCI said any Indian cricketer who signed up to the so-called rebel ICL would be banned from representing their nation, forcing the new league to file an ongoing case challenging the board's monopoly over the sport.
The BCCI then pulled together its own three-million-dollar IPL with the blessing of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and which is supported by cricket boards around the world.
Thus began a game of one-upmanship which shows no signs of abating, and with no apparent concern for the effects it could have on players, their international commitments and cricket in India.
The Zee-backed ICL announced Kapil Dev, India's only World Cup-winning captain, as its chief executive, while the BCCI's IPL paraded the country's other legend, Sunil Gavaskar, and popular commentator Ravi Shastri, as members of its governing council.
At the moment, the IPL is seemingly winning the battle in terms of getting big-name players to sign up, with Test captains Graeme Smith of South Africa, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand, Shoaib Malik of Pakistan and the entire Team India already on board.
The IPL also persuaded the ICL's main draw, Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistani star batsman, to break his contract with the rebel league and sign up with the official body, prompting the ICL to serve legal papers to the player.
Retirees and has-beens
On the other side of the fence, the best the ICL has managed so far are retired international stars, headed by West Indian great Brian Lara and Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq, along with a handful of domestic has-beens.
Both leagues, despite obvious deep pockets, have found it easier to sign up big name players than finalise details of the events they plan to stage.
The only certain fact is that both leagues will feature Twenty20 matches between franchised teams made up of international players and promising young Indians.
The ICL announced on Tuesday that its inaugural event will be held in the northern city of Chandigarh between November 30 and December 16, while the BCCI is looking for an April start for the IPL.
The struggling Asia Cup limited-overs tournament, which has been postponed twice before and is now scheduled to be held in Pakistan in April-May, faces an uncertain future if the IPL is held at the same time.