The BCCI is set to welcome the suspended teams back into the league next year
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to welcome the most popular teams in the Indian Premier League back into the league. The two franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will be welcomed back on the same day the BCCI releases the ‘Invitation To Tender’ IIT for media rights regarding the 2017 edition of the IPL.
A day after TOI report on BCCI’s decision to cut down the period of media rights for broadcast bids from 10 years to five, it came to light that the Board is looking to also mark the occasion to articulate the return of two of its original eight franchises.
The two teams suffered ill fate due to spot-fixing and thus were ruled out of the IPL.
CSK are learnt to be making grand plans for their return and are in the middle of finalising events themed around the franchise’s massive fan base.
Extra Cover: Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals set to make a comeback next year
An official in the know of things said: MS Dhoni, the former skipper at Rising Pune Supergiant, who “seems to have become an unnecessary talking point for all the wrong reasons other than cricket,” will go back to the Super Kings – a team that he had been associated successfully for eight long years – immediately after the end of the 2017 edition.
The Royals, meanwhile, are in talks with a leading corporate – that already has interests in the IPL as of now – for a possible stake sale and could return to the tournament from the 2018 edition onwards with a new co-owner.
Royals have been looking to bring in new investors in the franchises – either as a co-owner or even toy with the idea of selling the team – for a while now. For this purpose, the franchise even began working its way towards clearing up a lot of its internal concerns like buying back co-owner Suresh Chellaram’s 49% share in the ownership structure to douse past controversies.
The IPL could well head into 2018 on a completely fresh note, especially in the present circumstances with the SC-appointed Committee of Administrators overseeing the day-to-day affairs in Indian cricket. Fans would be happy enough again to welcome their team back next year. Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions were part of the Indian Premier League for the first time last year. It should be interesting to watch out what fate they suffer!
After eight successful years in the tournament, the two teams are expected to make a comeback in the year 2018. It is rumoured that the Royals will have a new name in the next edition of the IPL.
Leave a Reply