China’s Vivo replaces Pepsi in IPL

SEASON 9 BCCI to invite bids for two new IPL teams, CSK, RR get lifeline, will be back in 2018

MUMBAI: The Indian Premier League, under pressure to remain commercially attractive as it fights for credibility after the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, will get two new teams and a fresh title sponsor for the next two years.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Sunday decided to invite bids for two teams to keep IPL an eight-team competition after a Supreme Court-appointed committee slapped two-year suspension on Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals finding top team officials guilty of betting.

The BCCI, which met for the first time after Shashank Manohar took over as the chief earlier this month, also decided against terminating CSK and RR, allowing their return to the cashrich domestic T20 league in 2018.

Whether IPL will stay an eight-side affair or be expanded to 10 teams will be decided after the 2018 edition, when the 10-year contract with broadcasters and franchises run out.

The board also overcame a potential commercial crisis when it named Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo as the title sponsor for the next two years. The company has 10 days to present bank guarantee.

IPL was staring at uncertainty after Pepsi announced it was withdrawing as title sponsor with two years of its five-year `386-crore deal still to run. The global food and beverage giant had pointed to the credibility crisis following the spot-fixing scandal as the reason for pullout. CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 >> TWO NEW TEAMS, P17 >> PCB CHIEF IN DELHI, P17