As soon as the Indian Premier League 2020 concluded, the focus shifted on the possible introduction of a new team in the next edition of the tournament. The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) will reportedly float tender for the ninth team this week. The latest report from Mumbai Mirror hint that Sanjiv Goenka group and Adani group are likely to be in the hunt for the ninth team.
This is not the first time the Adani group has been showing interest in buying an IPL team. The industrialist had reportedly made a bid for an IPL team when the league was expanding to ten teams in 2010. The move didn’t materialise as the Sahara group won the race for the Pune franchise, while a consortium of multiple investors bought the Kochi franchise.
Meanwhile, the Goenka group of industries had owned an IPL team in the past. They managed to buy Rising Pune Supergiants in 2015, but they had to participate in IPL for only two years when Chennai Superkings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended.
More parties may try their luck when BCCI open the process of bidding. However, the links to IPL in previous campaigns suggests that these two groups may have more interest and an upper hand in the bidding process.
With the introduction of a new team, IPL is likely to have one big auction. Logistically, there will be a lot of work to do for the new team, as IPL 2021 is likely to begin in April. It remains to be seen whether India will be able to host the tournament. BCCI had successfully managed to organize last season in the UAE, so it will not be a big surprise if the tournament moves abroad for one more year. The arrival of a new team on the scene is certainly going to improve the league by adding more quality and a greater pool of talent.