LEAPS AND BOUNDS

IPL to Become 10-Team Tournament

The 2022 edition of the Indian Premier league is expected to get bigger with inclusion of two new franchises. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the release of a tender to own and operate an IPL team. With the news came forward, Bollywood's popular couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh and from Adoni to Jindal to the Glazers are on the race. The report further claims that the BCCI has informed that the existing team owners that the new franchises will be allowed to pick a couple of big players outside the auction.

                                      The BCCI is planning to allow a Consortium to bed for teams as it makes the bidding process more vibrant. Among the venues where the teams could be based include Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, Ekana stadium in Lucknow and Pune with bigger capacities could be the choices for franchise. While IPL 2020 and 2021 compromised events, these were not financially compromised to the degree that most other global sporting events were broadcasting rights played the dominant role in the IPL's economic equation, both for the BCCI and the teams. The BCCI expects ₹ 5000 crore windfall for this next IPL 2022. The IPL also brings lots of money to domestic cricket with employment.

                                      We should be aware of the fact that covid-19 is still looming over. However, through a combination of well-planned bubbles, player disciplines and good fortune, India played through the pandemic years, in 2020 without casualties and without, so far as we know, significant mental issues. But the pressures of playing in such conditions cannot be exaggerated. The second half was subsequently shifted to the UAE as we were in India but we expect BCCI hosted back in India in front of boisterous crowds. The next IPL enthralls us to next level.