Reports: BCCI considering allowing two new IPL franchises to buy players outside auction

In what can be called a major development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering allowing the two new Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to pick some players outside the auction event. The move is apparently contemplated to ensure a level-playing field for the new comers as the existing eight IPL franchises. After all, the current teams would be allowed to retain some players ahead of the bidding event.

However, the two new franchises won’t have that advantage. Hence, the Indian cricket board can reportedly take this major step. For the unversed, IPL will become a 10-team tournament from the next season onwards with two new sides coming into the picture. Also, a mega auction is set to take place ahead of IPL 2022 which would see several teams going under revamps.

New IPL franchises to rope in prominent players ahead of mega auction

Meanwhile, Cricbuzz has reported that the two new franchises might be able to pick a few players among those who have enrolled themselves for the auction. While the exact mechanism of selecting players isn’t out yet, prominent players will be taken and the fess would be mutually decided by the franchise and the player.

Notably, the number of ‘special picks’ hasn’t been decided yet but it is likely to be two or three. The final number will be determined based on the number of retentions allowed for the eight current teams.  Meanwhile, the BCCI has postponed the sale of Invitation to Tender (ITT) by another 10 days, shifting the deadline from October 10 to 20. The decision was apparently taken on the request of some new parties.

“Pursuant to requests from various interested parties, BCCI has now decided to further extend the date for purchasing the ITT document till October 20, 2021,” the BCCI said in a statement on October 13. The BCCI has, however, confirmed that the postponement will not delay the sale of the teams which will be done on October 25.

As per the norms enforced by BCCI, the company bidding for the two new teams should at least have a turnover of INR 3000 crore. As per reports, the bidding of both teams will start at INR 2000 crore. Hence, BCCI is set to earn a massive profit from the tournament expansion.