Ahmedabad front runner for new IPL team, 2nd slot to face fierce competition from multiple cities: Reports

The BCCI has set in motion their plans to add two new IPL teams to the league from next year onwards. After the news went viral on Monday, another report suggested Ahmedabad was the front runner for a new IPL franchise.

A Times of India report outlined BCCI’s plan for IPL 2022 onwards. The publication stated that the tender documents for the new IPL franchises will be out by mid-August, with the new teams being introduced by mid-October.

A report from InsideSport confirms that the city of Ahmedabad will be the front runner for a new IPL team. However, rights for the second IPL team are set to face a multi-city battle.

4/ "The city of Ahemdabad will be the front runner for one of the new IPL Team." (2/n) @IPL

— Hardik_Baruah (@baruah_hardik) July 5, 2021

According to the publication, the tenders will provide potential bidders to choose from eight to ten cities when it comes to formulating a new IPL team. These include Ahmedabad, Pune, Lucknow, Kanpur, Guwahati, Indore, Kochi, Raipur and Trivandrum amongst others.

Several parties already showing interest to acquire new IPL teams

According to TOI, the BCCI set to increase the salary purse of an IPL team from 85cr to 90cr for IPL 2022. It'll increase to 95cr and 100cr following IPL 2023 and 2024. Sanjiv Goenka Group and Adani Group have shown interest in the two new team of IPL.

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 5, 2021

According to The Times of India, Kolkata-based RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, Ahmedabad-headquartered Adani Group, Aurobindo Pharma Ltd based out of Hyderabad and the Gujarat-based Torrent Group have shown interest in owning IPL teams.

InsideSport spoke to a senior BCCI official in June, who confirmed that the base price for the new IPL franchises is yet to be decided.

"We have not discussed the base price for the new teams formally as yet. IPL teams are a great investment and has given the initial investors great returns. My personal view is that it will be nothing less than 2000 Cr but I am again repeating myself nothing formally has been discussed in BCCI about the base price,” the official said.

Inside Sport also revealed a gold finance company from South India is also eager to take part in the bidding process for the new IPL teams.