Indian cricket team sponsors Sahara, considered an also-ran among the five bidders, made the top bid of Rs1,702 crore and won Pune. The combined amount of the two bids was Rs3235.2 crore, at least 25% more than the combined bid for the eight teams purchased in the first round of team formation in 2008. As earlier reported by DNA, the Kerala bid had the backing of Tharoor. “I’m just a mentor,” Tharoor told DNA from Kerala. Sahara Adventure Sports Group bagged Pune.
A hitherto unknown consortium called Rendezvous Sports World Ltd surprised all, including IPL chairman Lalit Modi, by putting up the second highest bid for an IPL team. They bid Rs1,533 crore to bring Kochi on the cricketing map.
IPL chairman Lalit Modi confirmed Minister of State for External Affairs Tharoor was the brain behind Rendezvous Sports World Ltd. Tharoor was involved in getting people together to bid for Kochi. He is an ardent fan of cricket. His involvement was to see a team from Kochi and that was fulfilled,” Modi said in Chennai. I understand it’s a business decision,” Tharoor said.
A close aide of Tharoor told IANS just like his candidature in May Lok Sabha elections, his support for an IPL team from the state too came as a surprise. Former Kerala Ranji captain and now a first class umpire Ananthapadmanabhan was delighted on hearing Kerala getting an IPL franchisee.
This is great news for cricket, cricketers and fans of cricket in the state. Secretary of Kerala Cricket Association T.C. Mathew said an IPL team from Kochi will change the face of cricket in the state. IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi said Sahara Adventure Sports Group made an identical $370 million bid for three cities, Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Pune.
In all, five groups qualified for the bid. Modi dismissed speculation that Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor had financial interest in the bid for Kochi franchise and said the minister’s role was confined to “facilitating” the bid.
Mr Tharoor was involved in facilitating and trying to get a team from Kochi to bid. Tharoor gave Kerala a reason to cheer for when he lent his support to the franchisee to bid $333.33 million (Rs.1,533.33 crore) to get Kochi one of the two new IPL teams from the next season. Sahara Adventure Sports Group bagged Pune.
Former Kerala Ranji captain and now a first class umpire Ananthapadmanabhan was delighted on hearing Kerala getting an IPL franchisee. This is great news for cricket, cricketers and fans of cricket in the state. Secretary of Kerala Cricket Association T.C. Mathew said an IPL team from Kochi will change the face of cricket in the state. Secretary of Kerala Cricket Association T.C. Mathew said an IPL team from Kochi will change the face of cricket in the state.
