Kochi is ready for IPL 2011!

A great news for all cricket lovers of Kerala. It's True....Kochi got an IPL team!.

The consortium from Kerala, Rendezvous Group, decided on Kochi as its base. Rendezvous Sports World Ltd emerged as the surprise package in the Indian Premier League's (IPL) bidding for two new teams. It won the rights for Kochi. The brain behind bringing together the five-member consortium was Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor. IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi said Tharoor helped Kerala to have a team of its own. Rendezvous Sports bid $333.33 million to get Kochi as the host city while Sahara Adventure Sports was the highest bidder at $370 million to bag Pune. The other groups that took part in the bidding were Adani and Videocon.

Pooja Gulati, director Rendezvous Sports World, said: "Cricket is now popular throughout India and it does not matter if Kerala is not known for cricket. The new IPL team will change that notion."

Modi said IPL will provide a venue till the stadium at Kochi comes up.
"Kerala Cricket Association is building a world class stadium. Till that is ready, IPL will provide an alternate venue."

The minimum base price is $225 m and the highest tender wins. The highest bid was of Sahara Adventure Sports Ltd for Pune was $370 million. The second highest was Rendezvous Sports Ltd $333.33 million and they bid for Kochi (Cochin). So the two new cities in the IPL are Pune and Cochin which will be part of the 4th season of the IPL (IPL 2011). They were bid for by Sahara Adventure Sports (Pune) and Rendezvous Sports Ltd (Cochin).

IPL season 4 will feature 10 teams and a total of 94 games will be played, from the existing 60.

Also, lemme list the prices of the 10 Franchisees (8 of them were bought earlier) below.....

1. Sahara Adventure Sports (For team Pune) : $370 million
2. Rendezvous Sports Ltd (For team Kochi) : $333.33 million
3. Mumbai Indians – Mukesh Ambani – $111.9 m
4. RCB – Vijay Mallya – $111.6 m
5. Deccan – T Venkatram Reddy – $107.01 m
6. CSK – N Srinivasan – $91 m
7. DD – GM Rao – $84 m
8. KXIP – Preity Zinta – $76 m
9. KKR – SRK – $75.09 m
10. RR – Manoj Badale – $67m

Hearty Congrats to Shashi Tharoor & Rendezvous Sports Ltd. It is a great feeling that Kochi entered into the list of IPL teams. We are desperately waiting for Team Kochi in action.

Cheers,
Jenson