CHENNAI
India Cements (N Srinivasan)
Cost: $91m

This happens to be the only IPL team that has a cricketing structure in place. India Cements figures in the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association League and the face of the company — N Srinivasan — happens to be BCCI treasurer. Srinivasan is to be TNCA president and is someone who is well-versed in cricket administration. When Srinivasan’s name figured as an IPL team owner, questions were raised about this being a case of conflict of interest. Modi came to the rescue by saying that Srinivasan was merely a share-holder in India Cements. As the vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements Pvt Ltd, he certainly was a share holder!
But except for this blip, IPL is seen as a venture where the BCCI has relaxed its iron fist. Gameplan’s Jeet Bannerjee, who manages players like Mahendra Singh Dhoni among others, has seen the business side of cricket for long to understand this change. “For the first time, in the business of cricket, big players in the market (like Reliance, the UB Group) are involved. Until now, cricket had always been controlled by the BCCI, even as far as the revenues went. But this is a change that was waiting to happen, given the game’s popularity and its reach,” says Bannerjee.

HYDERABAD
Deccan Chronicle
Cost: $107.01m

If some of India’s biggest business barons weren’t enough, there’s a media house in the fray too. Deccan Chronicle, or DC, is an English daily newspaper that has its roots firmly placed in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with over eight editions. DC owns Hyderabad that also happens to be its business stronghold. The fact that they’ve been the third-highest bidders in the IPL auction extravaganza (after Reliance and UB Group) shows how keen DC had been to join the league.
With media houses like Eenadu in the region having a overwhelming presence on television, DC’s connection with IPL makes business sense. Market watchers believe that riding on cricket, DC can force its way to the television screens in Andhra. “For a newspaper industry that concentrates on a particular region and enjoys its fair share of dominance, having its own cricket team in IPL certainly provides major advantages. Brand value is all about exclusivity and for DC to have that in a market that has cut-throat competition is a huge benefit,” says a leading media professional.