8 IPL team owners to form association

With the IPL being the sixth most valuable property in the world, one can be rest assured that it's not just Lalit Modi who is asserting his importance but also the eight team owners.

A recent IPL conclave in Bangkok ended with the IPL owners deciding to form their own association - clearly asserting their importance. And even if some of them didn't get their way on the issue of the player re-auction they are finding their voice and being heard.

Chennai Superkings' main marketing strategy is built around MS Dhoni, but come 2011, Dhoni could be a Kolkata Knight Rider or maybe even a Mumbai Indian, or he could be with Vijay Mallya's Royal Challengers.

It's believed that the issue of entire player re-auction in 2011 was bitterly opposed by N Srinivasn who strangely enough wears three hats. He's the Secretary of the BCCI, the owner of the Chennai Superkings and on the IPL governing board as well.

However the IPL owners seemed to go along with IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, though they

"More than the players some of the franchises want to have their players retained. It does not suit the module because two new teams will be coming in. Without big players playing for them there would be no value may be that is the reason the IPL wants players back in the pool again," said Venkat Reddy, CEO of Deccan Chargers.

Many players though aren't happy at the thought that they have no choice in the matter.

"It is very important for the franchises to adopt a similar model to football where the iconic players and the franchise stars remain as properties with some of those franchises. Similar to Rooney at Manchester United, Freddie Flintoff, MSD, Matthew Hayden should be able to remain within the franchise because the fan base becomes extremely connected to that," Matthew Hayden of Chennai Super Kings said.

"I think here in Chennai we have great strength of that fan base. It's corporate programme and academia. The fan base needs to have that connection. It would be a negative move by the IPL to move its assets away from the franchise. However, for the benefit of commercialisation of the franchise there should be windows in the franchise to allow the movement of players in and out. But I want to remain committed to the growth and development of the franchise," Hayden added.

Should the players have a say in whether they play for King Khan or Shilpa Shetty or Vijay mallya? Well a senior IPL official told us that a Picasso painting that goes on auction can't chose who its owner will be. Which goes to show that the players may have got left behind a bit in terms of protecting their interests while the IPL and the team owners call the shots.