BCCI gave formal clearance to two new IPL franchisees Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President, Rajeev Shukla, said that the BCCI will try to ensure that the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) happens and that too in India.
The two new IPL franchisees – Sanjiv Goenka's RPSG Group for the Lucknow franchise and CVC Capital's Ahmedabad team were given formal clearance from the BCCI after an IPL Governing Council meeting on Tuesday, January 11.
Both Ahmedabad and Lucknow teams have also been given a time frame for player signings before the mega IPL 2022 mega auction.
Shukla told ANI: “There were two important decisions made by IPL governing body today. First, the Ahmedabad franchise whose bid was won by CVC was awarded. After being the highest bidder, there were questions raised that they have some shares in the betting company outside of India.”
He continued, “BCCI then took all precautions immediately and they formed a committee whose head was a retired judge of Supreme Court and after looking at all the things the committee decided that their betting was correct and they should receive (the formal clearance).
However, BCCI again took additional precautions and asked them (CVC) to give an undertaking that you will not participate/be a partner in any (betting) company. Vivo decided to part ways so TATA has come in as a sponsor for IPL for two years.”
About the IPL 2022, BCCI Vice-President said: “We will try to ensure that the Indian Premier League happens and in India. But we will see into this matter again in March that how is COVID situation then. There will be a contingency plan in place if the COVID situation worsens.”
He signed off by saying that the IPL auction and India-West Indies series will depend on the COVID-19 situation in the country.
Notably, Lucknow and Ahmedabad both teams have a budget of Rs 33 crores to pick three players who were not retained by their franchises. They can only pick two Indian players (capped or uncapped) and more than one overseas player or more than one Indian uncapped player.
(With ANI Inputs)