China’s Vivo replaces Pepsi in IPL

IPL staying at least an eightteam affair was a commercial necessity, especially for its broadcasters.

“For now, the league will remain an eight-team competition. Any further decisions will be taken after the completion of the two seasons in 2018,” IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said after the meeting.

The progress of the new teams would be assessed a year on, a state unit representative present at the meeting told HT. If they prove popular, then the T20 competition could be expanded to a 10-team tournament.

With few IPL teams making a sizeable earning, the feasibility and demand for two new teams is likely to be an issue.

Shukla was confident that the board would find suitable bidders. “We are getting the feedback and have got a few feelers. The valuation or base price has not been decided,” he said.

The tender document was being prepared and would be approved in the AGM that would also take a decision on taking the auction route, Shukla said. The annual general meeting is planned for November 9.

Former BCCI chief N Srinivasan, whose presence had forced the working committee to suspend its meeting in August, wasn’t there on Sunday.

The BCCI ruled that the Chennai strongman couldn’t join the meeting as the Tamil Nadu association representative.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to interfere and left it to the board to decide if the official pulled up by it for conflict of interest could attend the meeting.