BCCI general body approves 10-team IPL from 2022 edition

Former Indian cricketer and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly (Reuters)

 BCCI will back ICC's bid for cricket's inclusion in 2028 Olympics after some clarifications from IOC, a source said

A 10-team IPL means 94 games; as of now, Star India pays ₹16,347.5 cr for a period between 2018-2022 and till date it was for 60 matches per year

New Delhi: The BCCI general body on Thursday approved 10-team Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2022 edition at its 89th Annual General Meeting in Ahmedabad.

The inclusion of two new teams couldn't be done in time for IPL 14 considering there is little time for tenders to be floated for new teams.

BCCI decided to back ICC's bid for cricket's inclusion in 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after some clarifications from International Olympic Committee (IOC), said a source to PTI.

Also, it was decided that all first-class players, both men and women, will be suitably compensated for the curtailed domestic season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BCCI plans to get the domestic season underway, after several months' delay, in January with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 championship.

In other decisions, veteran Congress leader Rajiv Shukla was officially anointed the Board's vice president in place of his protege Mahim Verma from Uttarakhand.

It was also learnt that the general body decided in favour of Sourav Ganguly continuing as a director in the ICC Board.

Secretary Jay Shah will be the alternate director as well as India's representative at the Chief Executive Committee meets of the global body.

It was learnt that most of the stakeholders feel that having a nine or 10-team IPL in 2021 will be a hasty decision with the new franchises getting very little time to build a competitive team, PTI reported on Monday.

"There are a lot of modalities that needs to be discussed and most of the stakeholders feel that with IPL being held in April, there is very little time for a mega auction and to have a uniform retention policy, agreeable to all the existing franchises," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"You have to invite tenders and have a bidding process ready. In case you have two teams winning bids in late January or early February, they need to be given time for auction which can then be held only in March. That leaves a new team with very little time to plan," he added.

A 10-team IPL means 94 games and nearly two and half month window which can throw the international calender into disarray.

Also the availability of the top foreign players for the entire duration of the IPL needs to be ensured and the broadcast money per year which is for 60 matches also needs to be re-negotiated.

As of now, Star India pays ₹16,347.50 crore for a period between 2018-2022 and till date it was for 60 matches per year.

Some of the biggest names who seem to be interested in buying teams include business tycoons Gautam Adani and Sanjeev Goenka (erstwhile owner of Rising Pune Supergiants).