NEW DELHI: After successfully bidding a staggering Rs 7090 crore for the new Lucknow IPL franchise, Sanjiv Goenka, chairman, RPSG Group, said he was "extremely happy to be back in the IPL" and that "we specifically wanted Lucknow as the city of choice".
Monday's mega deal in Dubai was a homecoming of sorts for the RPSG Group, which earlier owned the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise in the IPL between 2016 and 2017.
In an exclusive interaction with TOI moments after the Indian cricket board (BCCI) finalised the two new IPL teams, Mr Goenka said, "This is just the beginning. The real intention is to build a team which can win the tournament. If you recall, Rising Pune Supergiant had lost the 2017 final to Mumbai Indians so we have some unfinished business in the IPL."
The RPSG group bid 250% more than BCCI's base price of Rs 2000 crore and will need to pay the amount over a 10-year period. "Seen in that light I am extremely satisfied with how things transpired. The valuations can only increase. It's simple economics. "What I eventually have to pay is the difference between what I get from BCCI by way of broadcast rights etc and what I pay to them as license fees. Seen in that light, the figures are realistic. The BCCI conducted proceedings in a transparent manner," said an emotional Goenka, a passionate sports lover who also owns ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League.
"We are also pleased with Lucknow as the city of choice. I specifically wanted Lucknow not only because we have business interests there (in the form of power distribution and the Spencer's retail chain) but also because we see it as an opportunity to harness the massive interest in cricket there. "A name for the franchise is yet to be decided and we will wait for the BCCI's retention policy to be announced before finalising a strategy for the auction," he added. The hunt for a head coach, it is understood, will commence immediately.
