BCCI to Float Tender for New Franchise in IPL Post Diwali
IMAGE: COLLECTED
|| India Correspondent ||
The BCCI is likely to float tender for a new franchise in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) or maybe even two - as soon as the Diwali gets over, the plan which was decided last year.
Meanwhile, the 2020 edition has concluded on Tuesday (November 10) and became a successful one as well after the tournament got postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March and later shifted to the UAE and hosted behind closed doors.
According to the report of Times of India (TOI), the BCCI has decided to make the tournament bigger than before and a mega auction is likely to take place in the beginning of 2021 as well.
"The tender is most likely to come after Diwali, once a decision is taken in this regard. And regardless of whether it's one franchise or two, if new teams come in then a mega auction cannot be avoided" sources said to TOI.
On the other hand, a report in The New Indian Express (NIE) has also claimed the board has already informed the franchises to prepare for a player auction which could take place early in 2021 and also gave the hint of an additional team. However, the ninth team in the league is likely to be from Ahmedabad and the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera could be their home ground as well, as per the report.
“The BCCI has told us to be prepared for an auction in a couple of months. Though it is not official, that they have asked us to be ready means they will go ahead as planned. Moreover, with a new team coming in, it makes sense to have an auction now rather than deferring it by a year,” a franchise official said to NIE.
