2-year bids likely for Chennai, Jaipur teams

The board picked IPL GC chairman Rajiv Shukla, secretary Anurag Thakur, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary, former India captain and GC member Sourav Ganguly and Supreme Court lawyer ­ and old BCCI warhorse ­ Ushanath Banerjee to be part of the group. Sources told TOI that this panel would discuss the feasibility of calling bids for two news teams for Chennai and Jaipur. The GC also feels that any solution they arrive at should appear transparent and pass muster with judiciary. Thus, the effort would be to get reputed companies to bid for the two teams.

A majority of Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council (GC) members favour calling bids for two new teams for Chennai and Jaipur, to replace Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals, according to sources.
This bid will be for two years. In 2018, IPL will call for fresh bids for all teams as the franchises were sold for 10 years in the first auction in 2008. However, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) could face a challenge in attracting credible buyers for two new teams for just two years, especially as CSK and RR would likely legally challenge any such move. BCCI, on Monday, appointed a five-member working group to study the implications of the 59-page Lodha Committee report and draw a roadmap for IPL from next year. This panel will have six weeks to submit their findings to BCCI after which a final call will be taken in a working committee meeting in September.

The option of BCCI taking over the two teams did not find favour with most of the attendees, primarily because of the fear that it would attract a 'conflict of interest' taint.

BCCI officials also want to be sure that they do not land into trouble the way they did with Kochi Tuskers, whose contract was earlier terminated. The Tuskers have won their case against BCCI after arbitration and stand to gain more than Rs 500 crore.

If they decide to terminate CSK and Royals, the two teams will be free to go to court and a stay on termination will create roadblocks for BCCI in its bid to sell two new franchises. "The committee will consult the legal experts before coming up with recommendations since we do not want any legal complications later on," Shukla said. He reiterated on Monday that BCCI has already accepted the Lodha Committee report, which is final and binding on them, in totality.