The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Wednesday, decided to extend the deadline to purchase the tender document for two new Indian Premier League (IPL) teams slated to be introduced in the 2022 season. The earlier date of 'Invitation to Tender' (ITT) document, issued by Governing Council of IPL has been postponed from 10 October 2021 to 20 October 2021.
‘Invitation to Tender’ (ITT) will be issued on payment of the non-refundable tender fee of Rs 10 lakh.
“Pursuant to requests from various interested parties, BCCI has now decided to further extend the date for purchasing the ITT document till October 20, 2021,” a BCCI release said.
"The ITT will be made available to interested parties on receipt of payment of a non-refundable tender fee of Rs.10 lakh plus any applicable Goods and Services Tax." stated a BCCI release. With the introduction of new teams, the apex cricketing board hopes to earn a minimum of Rs 7000 crore, reported PTI.
IPL, which so far has eight teams participating in the cash-rich tournament, will become a 10-team affair. The new teams may have their home grounds in Ahmedabad, Lucknow or Pune and are expected to be unveiled on 25 October in Dubai.
The extension in the date for purchasing the tender documents is raising some eyebrows. Nonetheless, the prospect of two new IPL teams is an attractive one and from the point of view of fans, the action will only amplify.
Business houses such as Kotak Group, Aurobindo Pharma, Torrent Pharma, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, Birla Group, and Adani Group have shown interest in joining the cricketing gala, reported PTI. However, only those satisfying the eligibility criteria set out in the ITT and subject to other terms and conditions would be eligible to bid.