From 2022, one state can’t have two IPL teams

Come 2022 – IPL can’t have two teams from one state, sources told Sportskeeda after BCCI announced tenders for two more new teams for next year. Sources said that the board, which is hoping to get richer by nearly Rs 6,000 crore through this move (base price of Rs 2000 crore for a team), isn’t keen to have any team from the south zone either besides ruling out a city like Pune from a state which already has a team.

Based on the qualifications and bidding amounts, the board is open to cities from north, west, east and central parts of India to become a part of the IPL. But preference wise, BCCI is keen for cities from the north and west zones only – which means Lucknow and Ahmedabad are likely to be ahead in the race.

Read all you need to know about the IPL 2021 prize money here.

The board has also allowed a consortium of bidders to ensure more competitiveness in the process.

“It is been talked about a lot in recent days on how Ahmedabad and Lucknow would be the two leading cities when the bidding for two new teams happens. Now it is clear that the board is keen for teams from these two cities. There isn’t any scope for the southern part of India to have more than three teams,” a top BCCI official said.

As of now, there are two IPL teams from north, one each from west, east and central zones besides three franchises from southern part of India.

“If we have more teams from South, it would lead to a situation as if the league belongs to southern states. If that isn't the case, the IPL won't be a pan India event. Like it happens when ODI and T20 matches happen, BCCI makes it a point to ensure that cricket travels all over the country,” the official explained while adding that Covid-19 protocols have disturbed the rotation policy completely and that it would be restored in future.

Sources said that many industrialists have shown interest in buying these two teams. If a consortium is interested in buying teams from the eastern zone and if the bids are powerful, the board is open to the idea, based on the qualification. The 2022 IPL will also see 10 teams with 74 matches – something that happened a decade ago with Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers.