Reports: BCCI shortlists six cities for new franchises in Indian T20 2022

It has been a busy few months for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which has been fighting fires on multiple fronts amid a global pandemic that has thrown life out of order. Had the coronavirus pandemic not struck in mid-2020, the scene would have been a lot different with the world’s biggest T20 cricket league, the Indian T20 league, as well.

The BCCI had planned a mega auction ahead of the Indian T20 2021 edition but the virus not only ensured that the tournament was affected dangerously for two years running (2020 and 2021), but also forced the board to make a lot of adjustments on the move.

What are the BCCI’s plans?

With the mega auction — one that would have forced all existing franchises to build their squad from scratch, from Indian T20 2022, the board is now planning to have a 10-team tournament which means that there will be two new team additions to the mega event. It also means more players from India and abroad will feature in the Indian T20. The reports of BCCI mulling over expanding the teams in the Indian T20 had been doing rounds for a very long time and it was only in August 2021 that the Indian cricket board confirmed that they were considering the expansion.

At a price of INR 2,000 crores, the BCCI had invited bids of the two new franchisees in late August this year. There had been six cities in fray to join the Indian T20 jamboree, and not surprisingly, the board has been reported to have put forward these venues — Ranchi, Cuttack, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Dharamsala and Guwahati —  as its choices. However, some reports have mentioned Indore and not Ranchi as one of the six cities, but all that will be cleared once the auction is held for the same on October 17, according to reports. 

Why no city/franchise to be added from the South?

While nothing here should raise eyebrows, it must be noted that the board has not picked any city from down south to be among the latest additions in the Indian T20. The board believes that it has to turn its attention for the feel of the next two teams, to be added from Indian T20 2022, from the northern belt as well as covering the eastern and central zone, so that the Hindi speaking belt of the country is covered as well.

The Indian T20 already has three teams competing from down south which are Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Between them, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have four titles and Royal Challengers Bangalore looked a strong contender in the first half of Indian T20 2021 after undergoing a lot of chopping and changing to their side. According to reports, Visakhapatnam and Kochi were also in the line to have their own Indian T20 teams but experience which the Indian cricket board has had with one of the former Indian T20 franchises named Kochi Tuskers Kerala did not work well in their favour. A report claimed that the Indian cricket board has categorically said declined to include any more team from south.

The BCCI also wants to reportedly address the problem of the zonal imbalance while also keeping an eye on the business opportunities that lie ahead since it is always focused on making most from the cash-rich Indian T20 cricket tournament. It has been reported by a section of media that the board wants to take the cash-rich Indian T20 further into the Hindi speaking region of India, particularly the northern belt, to keep its presence and connect pan India. 

Numbers and North’s history 

The report added that about 65% of the 4 billion minutes of the viewership of the Indian T20 comes from the Hindi region, which certainly would have forced the BCCI bosses to look up to the north more than any other part of the country. There already are a couple of teams from the northern part of India such as Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings but these teams have generally performed below expectations if one has to look through the history of Indian T20. As per the cricket map which the board is believed to be following, Rajasthan Royals are based in Jaipur and they fall in the central zone and not in the north.

Between Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, there is only one title which went to RR — when they won the inaugural edition of the world’s biggest T20 cricket league in 2008. Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings have done their share of hard work to emerge better from their horrid experiences of the past, as these two teams have looked far better and extremely competitive, at the same time worthy of going the distance, at least in the last two editions.