BCCI, Sahara clinch pact; Pune to play IPL
NEW DELHI: The fortnight-long impasse between the Indian cricket board and Sahara India ended in smiles for both parties on Thursday, with Sahara agreeing to continue its sponsorship of Team India and its IPL franchise, Pune Warriors, staying on to play in the fifth edition of the T20 league.
Sahara had walked out of Indian cricket on February 4, hours before the IPL auction, with a bagful of complaints.
The two parties released a joint press statement at 6.51pm, saying they had reached common ground in the interest of cricket. This was after BCCI had laid down a strict line of not offering any special concession to Sahara after Monday's working committee meeting in Chennai.
The agreement gives Sahara a purse of $3.4 million -- up to $1.8 million for getting a replacement for Yuvraj Singh and the rest for other players. The board also extended the trading window till February 29 to allow Sahara to buy players from the February 4 auction list and even outside with the consent of other teams.
In lieu of Yuvraj's absence, the franchise can even play five foreigners if other teams agree. "The recent working committee's decision rejecting five foreign players in the playing XI notwithstanding, in consideration of the exceptional circumstance and the non-availability of Yuvraj Singh, Sahara has offered to obtain the consent of all the franchises for submission to the BCCI," the statement said.
IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said: "Everything could be achieved through dialogue and I have been maintaining this from the beginning."
After TOI reported on Thursday that the BCCI doesn't have a problem if all teams agree to allow Sahara-owned Pune Warriors to field five foreigners in the playing XI, indications were clear that truce was on the cards.
TOI had also reported how Shah Rukh Khan and former BCCI president Shashank Manohar had acted as mediators to reach an amicable solution. Khan took the responsibility to convince Sahara chief Subrata Roy to come to an agreement. IPL CEO Sunder Raman, Sahara chief's son Sushanto Roy and IPL team director Abhijit Sarkar were key players in the negotiations.
On his part, Roy thanked all BCCI officials and Shah Rukh for going out of their way to break the deadlock. "I genuinely appreciate all senior officials of BCCI for their initiative in resolving the issue. I genuinely convey my thanks to N Srinivasan, Arun Jaitley, Sanjay Jagdale, Rajiv Shukla, Ajay Shirke and Sundar Raman. The emotional initiative by Shashank Manohar is highly appreciated. With all his positivity, Shri Shah Rukh Khan ji motivated everybody by going out of his way in the interest of IPL and cricket," Roy said.
"We have requested BCCI to go for an open auction. Due to the policy of retention, a disparity in a player's ability and the corresponding payment structure is created. I genuinely appreciate BCCI and their positive response and attitude. They have said they will take up the issue seriously in near future," Roy added.
On the financial front, both the parties agreed to initiate an arbitration to address "Sahara's claim for a reduction in franchisee fee for 74 matches". Sahara's wish to furnish bank guarantees against the franchisee fee in two instalments will be considered in the next working committee meeting.
As regards the hosting of an IPL play-off match in Pune, BCCI said: "The right to host the play-off matches is awarded to the finalists from the previous edition, in this case RCB. BCCI is in principle agreeable to host one of the play-offs in the new Pune stadium, subject to the consent of RCB."
Earlier, BCCI had agreed to allow Sahara to have a strategic partner in the Warriors. "Sahara confirms that it will continue sponsorship of the Indian team. Sahara may want to exercise its right to assign the sponsorship as per the agreement," the joint statement read. This means that the Indian sponsor can share the sponsor space on Team India shirt with a partner.
BCCI, Sahara clinch pact; Pune to play IPL - The Times of India
