The IPL already has its share of Bollywood quotient with Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan owning Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively since the inception of the IPL back in 2008 with Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone looking to join the mix.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2022 may get to have more Bollywood flavour in their ownership if media reports are to be believed. It has been reported that Bollywood couple of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are looking to buy one of the two new IPL teams offered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United owners, the Glazer family, have also bought the tender document for the new IPL teams.
The bidding process for the new IPL team is scheduled to take place on Monday (October 25) in Dubai, a day after India’s match against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2021. The IPL already has its share of Bollywood quotient with Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan owning Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively since the inception of the IPL back in 2008.
Deepika has a sports background with his father Prakash Padukone being a former All-England badminton champion. Ranveer, on the other hand, is the brand ambassador of the NBA, a popular basketball league and has also been involved with EPL teams.
“The BCCI is not keen to give the rights to an off-shore company and will prefer Indian buyers but power equations can change the script dramatically,” a report in Outlook media read.
A number of companies from around the world are said to be taking part in the star-studded bidding process. Earlier, the BCCI extended the deadline for bidders to Wednesday (October 20). The results of the bidding will be declared a day after the T20 World Cup 2021 match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“Although it is a closed bid, we are expecting a fair and transparent process. The only hodgepodge could happen in the verification/elimination stage but it is unlikely BCCI will adopt unfair means to favour particular companies,” the report added.
Ahmedabad and Lucknow are the frontrunners to become the two new IPL teams for the next seasons. Previously, the BCCI shortlisted six cities – Ranchi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Ranchi and Cuttack for the same.
