India companies buy all franchises in Sri Lankan T20 Premier League

Colombo: Indian business enterprises showed keen interest in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League and bought all the seven contesting franchises on offer, even as the BCCI decided not to allow its players to participate in the Twenty20 league, says a report in The Times Of India.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) had even last year prohibited its players from participating in the league, which forced the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to abort the opening season of the SLPL. While Wadhawan Holdings shelled out the highest bid -- $5.02 million -- for Wayamba, Number One Sports Consulting offered a bid of $4.98 million for Kandurata, ads the report.

Meanwhile other newspapers too write that the India Inc. will own all the seven franchises in the Sri Lankan Premier League (SPL), ignoring the decision of the Indian cricket board not to allow its players to take part in the island's Twenty20 tournament. The Indian business houses have outbid all others to sweep all the franchises on offer for the league to be played August 10-31. The matches will be played in Colombo and Pallekele.

The Uva and Ruhuna went to Success Sports and Pearl Overseas for $4.6 million. Indian Cricket Dundee bought Basnahira for $4.33 million while Uthura went to Rudra Sports for $3.4 million. Varun Beverages bought Nagenahira for $3.22 million.

Each franchisee will be allowed a maximum of 18 players, including six foreign cricketers. But a team is allowed to play only two foreigners in the playing eleven. The players' draft will be held July 5-6.