Indian Premier League side Deccan Chargers
went unsold on Thursday, adding to the woes of the organisers of the glitzy
Twenty20 tournament.
Deccan Chronicle Holdings, which had placed advertisements in newspapers
last week inviting bids for the cash-strapped Hyderabad-based team, received
just one proposal when the bids were opened.
The company “rejected the bid on the basis of the payment terms offered by
the bidder,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which owns the
IPL, said in a statement.
The BCCI did not disclose the name of the bidder, how much money was
offered, or what the future course of action would be.
Deccan Chronicle Holdings, a media company that bought the team for $US107 million ($A102.70 million) before the inaugural IPL in 2008, has been ordered by banks to reduce
its debts, according to Indian media.
Among the leading players signed up by the franchise, which won the
tournament in 2009 but finished second-last this season, are Kumar Sangakkara
of Sri Lanka, South African fast bowler Dale Steyn and Australian batsman
Cameron White.
The rapid disposal of the Chargers has been widely blamed on economic
pressure affecting its current owners, but it also reflects the stormy history
of the IPL.
The BCCI threw the Kochi Tuskers out of the league last year over their
failure to meet financial requirements.
A separate attempt to eject the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab in
2010 over murky ownership disputes was blocked after a court battle.
The BCCI is already reeling under last month’s decision by real estate
giant DLF not to renew its contract as the IPL’s main sponsor.