BCCI to invite bids for two new teams of IPL

Mumbai: The BCCI has decided to invite bids for two new teams to replace Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) for IPL seasons 9 and 10, the final two years of the first 10-year tranche of the T20 tournament.

The Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha Committee had suspended the two champion sides for two years after its owners were found guilty of betting and thus violating the IPL operational rules. The BCCI working committee, on Sunday, decided to fully implement the Lodha Committee recommendations.

As an incentive, the two new franchisees will be offered six CSK and RR players by lots; the rest of the players from the two teams will be released for open auction. CSK had won the Chennai franchise for $90 million for 10 years and RR the Jaipur franchise for $67 million.

The working committee meeting was reconvened after the earlier one was adjourned.

The August 28



working committee meeting was adjourned sine die to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court on past president N. Srinivasan’s ‘conflict of interest.’

President Shashank Manohar asked the affiliated members to come to the AGM on November 9 with their opinion on the proposals to the conflict of interest rules in the BCCI Memorandum, Rules and Regulations.

At Sunday’s meeting, Mr. Manohar expressed his wish to not use the Chairman’s vote at Board meetings, and also remove the rule that mandates the Secretary to seek the approval of the BCCI president before announcing the Indian teams picked by the national selectors.

The BCCI also named Chinese smart phone maker, Vivo Mobiles, as the title sponsor for IPL 9 and 10. Pepsi, which was awarded the title sponsorship replacing DLF in 2013, held the transfer rights, and after deciding to pull out, it transferred the title sponsorship to Vivo.