IPL 2022 Mega Auction: Will Manchester United buy a new IPL team?

Bengaluru, October 21: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to expand its horizons with the addition of two more franchises from next season, the grapevine is that Manchester United, one of the most popular football clubs in the world is keen on setting its foot in the cash-rich T20 league sanctioned by the Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI).

Accoring to a report in Times of India daily, Glazer family, the US-based owners of Premier League giants Manchester United have reportedly picked up the Invitation To Tender (ITT) floated by the BCCI through a private equity firm.

According to insiders, Manchester United owners' interest was one of the reason behind BCCI extending date for purchasing tender from the initial deadline of October 5.

The ITT floated by the BCCI had some strict clauses. The potential bidders are expected to submit an average turnover of Rs 3,000 crore or a personal net worth of Rs 2,500 crore to be eligible to bid, according to a BCCI statement.

The average turnover clause was recently reworked by the BCCI after certain potential bidders made a specific request to lower the value in order to meet the eligibility criteria.

#IPL #BCCI #PremierLeague @ManUtd owners show 'interest' in @IPL franchise 🏏

The US-based owners of the @premierleague's marquee club #ManchesterUnited have reportedly picked up the Invitation To Tender (ITT) floated by the @BCCI

More Here ⏩ https://t.co/Xrq7SryMDx pic.twitter.com/nyCamkrMz8

— TOI Sports (@toisports) October 21, 2021

"So, technically, overseas investors are eligible to submit a bid if they meet these conditions. We don't really know whether Manchester United owners will come to the bidding table. What we certainly know is that they've shown interest," the Times of India report added.

IPL 2022: All You Need To Know About The Upcoming Mega Auction

The IPL 2022 mega auction is likely be held sometime in December, the usual time for an IPL auction.

The BCCI had already confirmed that there will be two new teams though the governing body has not divulged too many details regarding this.

IPL 2022: Starting Date, Host Country, Auction, Teams List, Basic Facts

Rumours have been strong about a possible interest from corporate giants such as Kolkata-based RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, Hyderabad-based Aurobindo Pharma Ltd, the Adani Group based in Ahmedabad and the Torrent Group in owning the new IPL franchises.

Now with Manchester United owners also tracking the developments about the world's most popular franchise-based T20 league, the mega auction for IPL 2022, promises to be an exciting one.

Since there will be two more teams for IPL 2022, the BCCI could come up with some tweaks in the guidelines. Right now, the maximum number of players in the squad is 25 and minimum is 18.

This could see a change because of the addition of two new teams. The BCCI could also mull relaxing the number of retained players, which at present stand at four.

It has already been reduced to three, two Indian players and one overseas player or vice versa for the IPL 2022 mega auction. But there will be some more discussions on that, and a clear picture will be emerging in the coming days.

If United indeed throws its hat into the IPL ring, it will throw up an interesting scenario. Virat Kohli, who is currently leading the Indian squad in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE is known to be a big fan of Premier League, Manchester United and its star Cristiano Ronaldo.