Will CSK and RR return in 2018?

• BCCI is now busy preparing the draft of dos and don'ts for the two suspended franchises while they stay away from IPL
• Three senior BCCI officials separately confirmed to TOI that CSK and RR would not be terminated and would return in 2018.

In keeping with recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Lodha panel, the Indian cricket board on Sunday (October 18) officially suspended Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) from Indian Premier League (IPL) for two years. The board will float tenders and invite bids for two new franchises for 2016 and 2017.

At the end of a lengthy working committee meeting, none of the top officials bothered to go into the details of why the tender for new teams will be floated for only two years when IPL has a provision to extend the league from eight to 10 teams.

"Not just Chennai and Jaipur, interested bidders will be free to opt for other cities such as Nagpur, Raipur, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Kanpur etc as their home venue. It has not been decided, however, if there will be a base price for these tenders, or a one-time payment or a net-off. The details about the financial model under which the two new teams will be inducted are being worked upon but what I can tell you is that this has been a well thought out move aimed at preserving the balance in the league and making it attractive enough for newcomers," a BCCI source said.

The source also explained the idea behind the move to induct the new team for just two years. "In 2018, the IPL broadcast rights will come up for renewal. We don't know what kind of bidding will be at play - $2b, $3b or more. In this interim period, a two-year window for any potential investor can turn out to be a great marketing initiative," he said.

"There will be parties interested in understanding how the league is run and how the revenue streams work. As of now, what sense does it make to tender a team on a long-term basis when issues are still lacking clarity?" the source added.

Meanwhile, the board is now busy preparing the draft of dos and don'ts for the two suspended franchises while they stay away from IPL. "Rules regarding what CSK and RR can and cannot do during the period of ban is still in the process of being drafted. We intend to notify them soon," he said.

Three senior BCCI officials separately confirmed to TOI that CSK and RR would not be terminated and would return in 2018. However, one source refused to buy the theory saying, "wait and watch, anything can happen under Shashank's (Manohar) regime."

Amidst these developments, there are those in the Kochi Tuskers' camp who haven't given up on the idea of participating in the IPL once again.