BCCI and CVC Capital have encountered some roadblocks in finalising some contractual agreements, which could push the Indian Premier League 2022 auctions.
The mega auction for the 2022 Premier League campaign could face further delays due to legal issues concerning CVC Capital’s purchase of the Ahmedabad franchise.
CVC Capital was rumoured to be heavily invested in companies that indulge in sports betting, which subsequently raised questions on the ethical standards of the company.
The board has since offered some clarification regarding this issue and said that the CVC group has funds for Asian and European countries. While the European fund indeed is invested in sports betting and online gambling company Tipico, it was independent of the Asian fund used to secure the franchise.
It has been suggested that the BCCI has handed over the “Letter of Intent” to the company, giving them the green signal to continue operations to get the franchise up and running. The lawyers of CVC Capital have also reportedly agreed terminology with the BCCI, but there has been some delay in the closing of the contract, as per various media outlets.
As a result of this confusion, there has been a direct impact on the conduct of the IPL Mega Auction, which the BCCI hoped to organise on February 12-13. Owing to the prolonged legal agreements, the board reportedly would not hesitate to push the high-profile event by 7-10 days.
It is also being said that once the BCCI irons out the legal issues with the ownership groups, the franchises will be given about two weeks time to draft new players.
The dates of the big-money event will be confirmed by the BCCI as and when they reach a final and binding agreement with CVC Capital.
There are also reports that suggest that the BCCI could be planning to shift the entire IPL to the three stadiums in Mumbai, the Wankhede, Brabourne and the DY Patil Stadium due to the rapid surge in Covid-19 cases across the country. These reports further speculate that the tournament might begin in late March to decrease the number of double-headers.
The last two editions of the IPL have been conducted in the United Arab Emirates, either fully or partially, with the 2020 edition being held entirely in the UAE. The second leg of the 2021 IPL was shifted to the United Arabic Emirates after the first part had to be put off owing to a rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in India and a supposed breach of the bio-bubble which infected some players.
