Will try to ensure IPL 2022 takes place in India, says BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Tuesday said that BCCI will try to ensure that the Indian Premier League (IPL) happens in India.

Indian Premier League’s (IPL) two new teams — Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group for the Lucknow franchise and CVC Capital’s Ahmedabad team on Tuesday received the formal clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The formal clearance was given after a meeting of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council on Tuesday and both Ahmedabad and Lucknow have also been given a time frame for player signing before the mega auction takes place.

“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. 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),” Shukla told ANI.

“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,” he added. “Vivo decided to part ways so TATA has come in as a sponsor for IPL for two years.”

When asked about the IPL 2022, BCCI VP 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 added. About the IPL Auction and India-West Indies series Shukla said it all depends on the situation then.

The two new IPL franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad have a budget of Rs 33 crore to pick three players who go back into the pool before the mega auction begins. For the two new franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — they cannot pick more than two Indian players (capped/uncapped). They cannot pick more than one overseas player and more than one Indian uncapped player. Apart from RPSG who won the bid for the Lucknow franchise, the Irelia Company Pte Ltd (CVC Capital Partners) won the bid for the Ahmedabad franchise (for INR 5,625 crores).