According to speculations, Bollywood celebrities, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone would bid for one of the 2 new IPL franchises for the next season. Manchester United, a renowned Premier League team where Cristiano Ronaldo belongs, has been considered a real contender before the bidding process, which is set to begin on 25 October in Dubai.
Actors from the Indian film industry have previously appeared in the IPL. Since the start of the IPL in 2008, Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan have been affiliated with the Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively.
Deepika comes from a sporting family, since his father, Prakash Padukone, was a former All England badminton champion. Ranveer Singh, on the other hand, is a brand ambassador for the NBA, a well-known basketball league. He has also worked with EPL teams.
According to reports, a number of firms from across the world are currently participating in the celebrity bidding process. The BCCI has already asked for an extension for bidders to Wednesday, October 20.
We are expecting a fair and transparent process
According to sources, an Indian business giant has supported Manchester United, whose total liabilities grew to 455 million GBP during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The BCCI is not keen to give the rights to an off-shore company and will prefer Indian buyers but power equations can change the script dramatically,” said the source.
The auction results will be announced the day following the 2021 T20 World Cup match involving India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“Although it is a closed bid, we are expecting a fair and transparent process. The only hodgepodge could happen in the verification/elimination stage but it is unlikely BCCI will adopt unfair means to favour particular companies,” a bidder said on conditions of anonymity.
It has also been revealed that Ahmedabad and Lucknow are the frontrunners for the 2 additional IPL teams for the coming editions. Earlier, the BCCI had nominated 6 cities for the event: Ranchi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Guwahati, Cuttack and Ranchi.
