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BCCI plan on retaining suspended IPL teams CSK and RR

CSK and RR’s suspensions has thrown the IPL’s future into a limbo

The BCCI working panel, which was formed after the Lodha committee suspended Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, is planning on recommending that the two teams be managed by under a new management for the next two years. ESPNcricinfo has also learnt that outright suspension is not even part of the plan.

Running the franchises under a new independent management seems to be the safest option, said one of the panel members.

He also said that inviting new bids for the two franchises and putting up the players for auction is the most “logical” option but most of the committee members were against it and thought that it would complicate matters.

"No doubt our immediate priority is to ensure smooth conduct of IPL 2016. But we also need to keep the future in mind," the working group member said.

"Most stakeholders expressed that the IPL model works best with eight teams. But if the BCCI finances are going to take a major hit with the other options, we will be left with no option but to float tenders for adding two teams for a longer duration."   

Team can play despite ban on management: BCCI

BCCI members during the last council meeting had suggested bringing in financial solution firms to run the franchises. But a former cricketer on the board mentioned that Rahul Dravid(Royals mentor) and MS Dhoni(CSK captain) were capable of running the team instead of an outsider. Anurag Thakur rejected both these suggestions, stating it would lead to conflict of interest. The committee will meet again on 28th of August before submitting its recommendations.

A BCCI official privy to inside information has said the group is yet to decide which option would be less disruptive in terms of passing on ownership to a new management.

"What they are unsure about is whether to invite new owners for these two teams for two years or just run the two teams under some other management system," the official said. "Can we run these two teams, with the same set of players, under the different names and some different management? So the brand remains suspended and the existing management of the franchises will have no role to play in running the teams."

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