When the BCCI handed out the Hyderabad franchise to Sun TV for `85.05 crores (per year) in December last year, Lalit Modi, ex-ring master of IPL circus, was totally bemused. “BCCI is trying to gift team to Srinivasan’s pals. While Sahara paid $370 million for its team, this one goes for pennies. How and why?” Modi asked.
Modi had a point. Sahara wasn’t happy about the figures either. For the record, Sahara paid `1,702 crores for 10 years for their IPL team Pune Warriors, but Sun TV signed a five-year deal with BCCI for just `425.2 crores. Also, Sahara’s bid amount in 2010 was three times the cost of any of the original eight teams (all bought in 2008).
A Sahara official says BCCI always meted out unfair treatment to Sahara. “Our first entry into IPL was thwarted in 2008 when we were disqualified and the bids were not opened at the whims and fancies of BCCI. We asked BCCI to reduce our franchise fee because only 74 matches were played in the 2011 season instead of 94 as originally planned,” he pointed out.
Also, Sahara’s contribution to Indian cricket and to Team India in particular as team sponsor is more than 10 years old. The group spent a huge amount of sponsorship money in retaining the team naming rights even if it did get due publicity in return. It has been the talk in cricket circles for a while now that the treatment to Sahara has not been equitable considering the group’s long association with the game.
After Pune Warriors announced their decision to pull out on Tuesday, Modi said it was an event waiting to happen. “If you don’t treat franchises equal — this is bound to happen,” Modi tweeted. He went on to say, “BCCI and IPL need to engage franchises rather than shun them. If they continue to bully one and all, they will be playing by themselves”.
Modi went on to add: “Sahara is right in what they are doing. They did more for cricket than anyone I know.”