A battle of nerves between the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is on the cards. Eight IPL teams, including Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers, will now be seen forming an association with the main aim of maximising their revenues. According to an IPL source, the association is likely to be formed before IPL 3 in March 2010.
After the BCCI refused to compensate the IPL franchises for the losses and extra expenses borne by them due to the relocation of the tournament, the teams have decided to make a move.
Talking about this initiative, Raghu Iyer, CMO, Rajasthan Royals, told FE, ?Yes, it?s true that we are forming an association. This is part of a recent visit made by the IPL owners to Bangkok at a workshop. This is where we decided to form a union called ?Franchisees United?.?
The main reason behind setting of the association is the keenness of franchisees to play a larger role in IPL matters, which is not a good news for BCCI. ?We were looking for a medium where all the crucial matters of IPL could be looked at a larger scale. This is an association which will ensure one voice speaking in favor of IPL. We are hopeful to achieve our goals that will benefit both the players and the franchisees.?
According to industry sources, Mukesh Ambani (Mumbai Indians) is the core member of the association, while the other members include Raj Kundra (Rajasthan Royals), Vijay Mallya (Royal Challengers) and Shahrukh Khan (Kolkata Knight
Riders). The source also added that the BCCI took the decision of terminating contract with sports management firm IMG, which helped to bring up IPL, without even consulting the franchisees.
