IPL: BCCI decides not to terminate RR and CSK; floats tenders for new teams

Mumbai: The BCCI on Sunday decided against terminating the suspended IPL franchises of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, putting an end to the speculation surrounding their fate and ensuring their comeback in the cash-rich league in 2018. At its working committee meeting, the Board decided that it would go with the Supreme Court-appointed Justice R M Lodha committee’s recommendation of suspending the two teams for two years, making the next two IPLs an eight-team affair. [caption id=“attachment_2471494” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture of Shashank Manohar. Reuters[/caption] However, the BCCI did not clarify whether IPL will be a 10-team affair from 2018, when CSK and RR will come back to the fold. “The decision whether it will be a 10-team affair from 2018 will only be taken at the AGM where the other major decisions including bilateral series with Pakistan will be discussed,” a senior BCCI office-bearer told PTI. “IPL Working Group had made four recommendations out of which one recommendation has been accepted by the BCCI working committee. The two vacant slots (created by CSK and RR) should be auctioned for two years. After that, we will decide whether to go for two more franchises or we should confine IPL to eight teams,” IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said after the meeting. Asked if new franchises will be from Chennai and Jaipur, Shukla said: “City preference is not there as the highest bidder will get to choose.” Among other important decisions taken at today’s meeting, the Board has scheduled its Annual General Meeting for November 9. The BCCI said it will invite fresh bids for two new teams, which will be competing from 2016 onwards to complete the eight-team format in the absence of CSK and RR. The Working Committee’s decision was strictly in lines with the suggestions of the IPL Working Group, which comprised of IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla, secretary Anurag Thakur, former India captain Sourav Ganguly and treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary. “The Justice Lodha committee interim report will be implemented fully. The two franchisee teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals remain suspended for two years. BCCI will float tenders and invite bids for two new teams to replace CSK & RR in the Indian Premier League for 2016 and 2017 (2 years),” a BCCI release said. Majority of the BCCI members were not too keen on termination of the two IPL franchises, which were involved in the spot-fixing scandal in 2013. The BCCI top brass has always maintained that it would implement Lodha Committee’s recommendations in toto and since the Supreme Court appointed committee had suspended for two years, the Working group also stuck by it. The decision was also in consonance with president Shashank Manohar’s statement that BCCI won’t be vindictive towards any of its state units. Other decisions that were taken and ratified at today’s meeting included starting the Treasurer’s Office operations from the BCCI Headquarters here at the earliest. Besides, “M/S Gokhale & Sathe has been appointed as the internal auditors of the BCCI. They replace M/S P.B Vijayragahavan & Company. The Board has appointed M/S Deloitte for ‘Project Transformation,” the BCCI stated. The BCCI also appointed Price Water House Cooper as the independent agency for due diligence on the utilisation of funds provided to the state associations. “The BCCI rules regarding Conflict of Interest and the amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the Board are being proposed for the consideration at the AGM,” it added. The Board said it was also looking to revive the National Cricket Academy. “As proposed by the president, the revival of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) as the centre of excellence is the top most priority of the BCCI. Board will look at the lands offered by KIADB. Mr. MP Pandove (Chairman NCA ), Mr. Rajeev Shukla, Mr. Anirudh Chaudhry (Treasurer-BCCI) and Mr. Amitabh Choudhary (Joint Secretary – BCCI) will inspect the lands offered by KIADB and finalise the deal within one month.” Update: Shukla said that the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals players’ interest will be protected. “The future of Chennai and Rajasthan players will be fully safe. They don’t need to worry about anything. The players’ interest will be protected. There will be no problems to the players,” he stressed. Asked whether the board is confident of attracting bidders, Shukla said, “We are getting the feedback, we are getting fillers, so we will definitely get the bidders.” He insisted that bids would be invited for just two years. “Right now bids will be invited for two years only for the two vacant slots. I told you when we are inviting tenders for two years, where is the question of extension,” said Shukla. The IPL chairman said that the tenders will be out only after the Board’s Annual General Meeting. “The (valuation, base price) has not been decided. Tender document is being prepared, it will be approved in AGM and then it will be out,” he said. He clarified that the working committee has zeroed down on vivo as the title sponsor for the IPL. “Working committee has decided for Vivo, it will be the title sponsor for the IPL.” PTI