AHMEDABAD, Dec 24: The BCCI�s governing body on Thursday ratified the entry of two new franchises in the IPL to make it a 10-team affair from 2022 and also decided to back the ICC�s push for cricket�s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics, during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) here.
�Two new teams will be introduced in the 2022 IPL,� a Board source told PTI.
It is learnt that time at hand is too short for even a nine-team IPL next year as an elaborate tender-floating process, increase of matches and ensuring that all foreign player�s international calendars are adjusted, would prove to be a Herculean task.
In another major development, the Board, in principle, decided to back the ICC�s bid for inclusion of cricket, in the T20 format, in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics �after getting some clarifications from the International Olympic Committee�.
�Look, the BCCI is an autonomous body and it would like to maintain its autonomy. Our legal team is looking to get a few clarifications. Obviously, cricket in Olympics is great for the game. Let�s hope we can move in the right direction,� the member, who attended the AGM, said.
The Board, however, did not reveal the nature of its queries with regards to the matter.
The BCCI has decided that if it does not get full tax exemption from the Government of India to host the World T20 next year, as sought by the ICC, then it would agree to deduction from its annual revenue of USD 390 million from the global body.
�We have told the ICC that we will approach our government for tax rebate but if we don�t get that exemption, the amount, which is around USD 123 million, will be deducted from our annual revenue, so we will get around USD 267 million. But India is hosting the 2021 T20 World Cup,� the source said.
Also, it was decided that all first-class players, both men and women, will be suitably compensated for the curtailed domestic season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BCCI plans to get the domestic season under way, after several months of delay, in January with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 championship.
Asked about the money to be set aside for this, the Board source said, �The BCCI will give a lump-sum compensation amount to the state units. Now they will draw up their own list and accordingly compensate their male and female players.�
The BCCI has decided that women�s tournaments (senior and junior) along with age-group tournaments (U-23, U-19, U-16) will be held simultaneously at the time of IPL-14 which, in all likelihood, will be held in India despite the pandemic-related concerns.
�We will have at least one age-group tournament in each category and also the women�s tournament during IPL.�
In other decisions, veteran Congress leader Rajiv Shukla was officially appointed the Board�s vice president in place of his protege Mahim Verma from Uttarakhand.
Brijesh Patel will continue as the chairman of the IPL Governing Council. �PTI
