IPL: Adani Group and Sanjiv Goenka Group interested in buying new franchise

IPL: Adani Group and Sanjiv Goenka Group interested in buying new franchise

IPL Trophy

The Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) successfully organized the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE. Mumbai Indians clinched their fifth title of the tournament after defeating Delhi Capitals in the final in Dubai.

Soon after the tournament concluded, a report published in The New Indian Express hinted at mega auctions for IPL 2021. A franchise official said that the Board is in no mood to postpone them to the next year. 

Earlier it was reported that BCCI might not conduct big auctions before the start of the next season as IPL 2020 already got delayed. The official also said that the Board has already informed the team owners to prepare for the auctions in the next couple of months. 

“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 told TNIE.

Goenka and Adani in the running for ownership of new franchise

The current 8 franchises in the IPL

Following the reports that were surfacing, the IPL franchises were asked to wait for a month for an official word. Even though the board hasn’t officially said anything about the new IPL team, a report in Mumbai Mirror suggests that Adani Group and Sanjiv Goenka Group are interested parties and might bid for the ninth team. A few other groups are also said to be in contention.

If the Goenka group decides to buy an IPL team, it will mark a comeback for the group in IPL. They had previously bought Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) and owned it in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, the team didn’t qualify for the playoffs but in the next season finished as runner-ups.

Also Read: Controversies of IPL 2020