Sharad Pawar backs Lalit Modi in IPL Kochi row

Sharad Pawar on Thursday came out in support of IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, saying there was nothing wrong in making public names of the stakeholders of the Kochi franchise.

"There in nothing wrong in disclosing the names of the stakeholders to the public," Pawar, former BCCI chief and ICC President-elect, said on Thursday.

He was asked about Modi revealing the names of the Kochi stakeholders, one of them being Sunanda Pushkar, a close friend of the Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor is alleged to have had a hand in Pushkar getting free equity worth 70 crore in IPL Kochi.

Pawar was asked about questions being raised over transparency in IPL and allegations of underworld and betting syndicates pumping huge amounts in securing franchise.

"If the IPL Commissioner or BCCI President is asking any information about any bid, they have got every right to ask for the information because unless and until they collect the correct information, they will not realise who are behind this," he said.

The former BCCI President also supported Tharoor who helped set up the consortium which bagged the Kochi franchise, saying the minister's "basic interest" was to bring cricket to center stage in Kerala and provide opportunities to players from the state.

"What my observation is that Tharoor's basic interest was that Kochi should get opportunity in the IPL. He was eager to show to people of Kerala that IPL is also a part of Kerala and wanted to encourage new players from Kerala," Pawar said.

The Agriculture Minister hoped the IPL governing council meeting later this month will clear the "misunderstandings".

"I am absolutely clear that when (BCCI President) Shashank Manohar will have this meeting, all misunderstandings will be cleared," he said.

Pawar also said that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had no role in the entire episode.

"They (Kochi investors) met me once and there was suggestion that Kochi stadium will take a year or two to complete. So in the meantime if they play in Ahmedabad, that will be better.

"But I advised them 'you have taken the option of Kochi. Please do not shift the place'. Fortunately that time Narendra Modi was in town. These people met Modi also and in my presence Modi told the investors 'Don't insist for Ahmedabad because you got this opportunity for Kochi," he said.

Pawar said he did not believe Lalit Modi offered the Kochi franchise $50 million to back out. He also questioned the seriousness of the underworld threat that Tharoor is claimed to have received.

'Outsiders' got IPL's Kochi franchise

Rendezvous Sports World Ltd (RSWL), the consortium of businessmen which won the Kochi franchise for the 2011 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, has yet to decide whether its base would be Kerala or elsewhere.

Quiz: How much you know about IPL

According to Vivek Venugopal, co-owner of the team, all these details including the name, logo, etc had to be finalised within a couple of weeks. The five stakeholders were constantly in touch and would finalise the details shortly, he told Business Standard.

Sahara's Subrata Roy mulls IPO for new IPL team

Whether to call the team the Kerala Tuskers or something else was also to be decided and suggestions are welcome, he said.

Although it is the Kochi franchise, only one business group from Kerala was involved in this successful bid, the second largest one for an IPL team, and only indirectly. Venugopal is one of the directors of the Thrissur-based Elite group of companies. The group is into international trade, food processing, distribution, real estate and construction; it makes ready to eat food items under the brand name, Elite. It runs around 20 companies - Yamuna Roller Flour Mills, Elite Foods, Elite Breads, Elite Agro Specialities, Elite Natural and Elite Homes.

What drives fandom for the IPL teams?

Venugopal is directly involved, however, in a Bangalore-based company called Trading and Infrastructure. The group has presence mainly in the southern states and in Gujarat. He is the son-in-law of A V Anoop, managing director of the Chennai-based Cholayil Pharmaceuticals, active in ayurveda-based consumer products such as Medimix soap. The group is also running the Cholayil Sanjeevanam for ayurvedic treatment and naturopathy restaurants in various parts of the country. The Cholayil group is also actively involved in the film industry, producing a number of Malayalam movies.

Ad sector to get big boost from IPL

Apart from himself, he said the consortium partners were Pavinee Developers, Anchor Earth, Film Waves and Anand Shah Developers. None are based in Kerala.

He added the team would have at least six players from Kerala. The main hurdle before the Kochi franchise is lack of an exclusive cricket stadium. The Kerala Cricket Association has acquired 23 acres at Edakochi near here for an international cricket stadium, but construction is yet to begin.

No stop sign on IPL brand value's swelling

KCA is, however, confident of finishing the work by 2012. Another option before IPL is the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium at Kaloor. Greater Cochin Development Authority, owner of the stadium, is ready to lend it for this use, for home matches. However, it is not exclusively a cricket stadium.

IPL Kochi franchisee spat sets up Modi-Tharoor clash

The IPL-Kochi franchisee controversy took a new twist on Monday, setting the stage for a face-off between IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor.

In a day of fast-paced developments, Modi was threatened with legal action by the franchisee, Rendezvous Sports, and received an admonition from BCCI for revealing who owns how much in Rendezvous. He countered by accusing Tharoor of calling him up to ask him not to seek the identity of the Rendezvous stakeholders, though regulations make it necessary for the identities to be revealed to IPL.

Interestingly, one of the Rendezvous stake holders made public by Modi in his tweets is Sunanda Pushkar, beautician-cum-socialite, who is reported by agencies to be on the verge of marrying Tharoor. Aides of Tharoor have refused to comment on the speculation on the ground that "it is an absolutely private matter".

Pushkar is said to divide her time between Mumbai and Dubai. According to Modi, she owns 18% of Rendezvous shares, though TOI could not confirm this independently. On the agreement papers, she is said to be a resident of Jammu Tawi.

What lends intensity to the unfolding drama is the suspicion that the IPL bosses - unhappy with Rendezvous gate crashing into the bidding - may be pressuring it to vacate the slot for an established corporate entity. The matter has taken on the dimension of a powerplay - not of the Twenty20 kind - with political circles buzzing about Tharoor lobbying Congress bigwigs to beat back the bid to get Rendezvous to leave Kochi.

Even if true, this failed to deter Modi from digging in his heels. A combative IPL commissioner reacted to a letter of rebuke by BCCI chief Shashank Manohar by insisting that his disclosure of the Rendezvous ownership pattern did not amount to breach of regulations. In fact, he alleged that the Kochi franchisee had a "lot to hide" and "have lied about who is the actual owner of the shares."

IPL player auction purse hiked to $7 million

The next IPL auction will have a salary cap of $7 million for each franchise, it has been announced. The auction, due to be held later this year, is likely to see all players available for signing for the first time since the inaugural auction in 2008.

"This would mean $70 million for the 10 teams every year and $210 million in three years," Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman was quoted as telling PTI. "This will be the single largest auction in sporting world, you see even in art auctions the bids are for a few million and that too for total ownership. In IPL, the amount that the teams would spend on players would be huge for having the contract for just three years."

Modi said the enhanced cap for auctioning would be for three years, starting with the fourth season of the IPL in 2011, and that the details of the increased ceiling and the auction programme would be announced after the current tournament.

Like in the initial auction for the 2008 season, Modi said there would be a three-year lock-in period for players acquired in 2011 as well, and that there would be "separate trading windows for the purpose", in case players or teams wanted to make changes.

The decision came on a day Subroto Roy, the Sahara Group chief who won the rights for one of the two new franchises added to the IPL, suggested an increase on the cap. Roy acquired the Pune franchise while Rendezvous World Sports bagged rights for the Kochi team, taking the total number to 10.

Owners of Rendezvous Sports World Limited

As per details revealed by IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, following is the share holding pattern of Kochi Franchise.

• Rendezvous 25% free
• Rendezvous World Sports 1%
• Anchor Earth. 27%
• Parinee Developers Pvt. Ltd. 26%
• Film waves 12%
• Anand Shyam 8%
• Vivek venugopal 1%

Modi further revealed on twitter that of the Rendezvous 25% free, 18 percent share (4.5% of total equity) is hold by Sunanda Pushkar, a lady friend of Congress Politician Shashi Tharoor.

Breakup of wickets- T20,2010

Number Crunching

1The number of bowlers, among those who've bowled at least 20 overs, with an economy rate of less than six. Anil Kumble is the only one

61The number of sixes for Gilchrist in all IPL games. Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina are the only others with more than 50.

5The most ducks by a batsman in all IPL matches. Piyush Chawla and Shane Warne share this record.

155The highest partnership for any wicket in all IPL games. Adam Gilchrist and VVS Laxman scored these for the first wicket

What you suggest the Name for Kochi IPL Team

Share your Views & IDEA.

New name for Kochi IPL Team

a) Kochi Tigers

b) Kochi Stars

c) Kochi Sizzlers

and so on......

ADD on........

Tharoor swings willow for $333-m Kochi IPL team

Co-author of a book on India-Pakistan cricket Shashi Tharoor has given a business spin to his writer-turned-politician career, spindoctoring a consortium Rendezvous Sports World Ltd that bagged a cricket team for Kochi in Indian Premier League (IPL). Rendezvous, spearheaded by Mumbai-based Shylendra Gaekwad and Gulf-based Vivek Venugopal, was jubiliant in its $333.33 million (Rs 1,533.33 crore) to get Kochi , one of the two new IPL teams from the next season.

Initially Bollywood filmmaker Priyadarshan and Malayalam screen idol Mohanlal was prepared to be part of the Kerala team bidding for IPL. Later, when IPL had raised some caveats, they had backed off. “Since the final shape of the team is yet to be concrete, I am keeping fingers crossed that they may once again come to the picture. No reason, why they cannot,” minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor told FE. “However, the ball is not in my court and the right people will make the decision in right time,” he hastened to add.

Even as IPL chairman Lalit Modi insists that Tharoor was the backroom brain behind Rendezvous Sports World, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram says he was only the cheerleader. “I am not part of the bid but was pleased to give Rendezvous Sports World my encouragement and blessings. My interest is in transforming Kerala,” Tharoor says in Twitter.

“IPL is an extremely valuable activity that is here to stay and grow. It will go a long way in terms of its popularity,” he tweeted in the social networking site.

For Thiruvananthapuram, his home constitutency, Tharoor has been sewing up a twin-city deal with Barcelona. “Part of this project is a dream to get Barcelonian football team to play in Thiruvananthapuram,” Tharoor had told his voters.

For Kerala cricket, winning the IPL bid is its maiden business sixer. The game is yet to take off in a big way in Kerala, often getting bowled out in infrastructure issues.Kochi has hosted about five one-day international matches, with Thiruvananthapuram hosting the first ever ODI way back in early eighties. Tharoor has brought a big buoy for Kerala cricket, says TC Mathews, secretary, State Cricket Association.

Celebrity brand ambassadors of Kochi IPL team

Three names that are prominent to be the Brand Ambassador of the Kochi team are

• Asin Thottumkal
• Vidya Balan
• John Abraham

Currently its not clear as to who will be cheering for Kochi IPL teamand bringing in that glamor quotient, or whether all three will endorseKochi team, as all three have some “Malayalee connection”.

Who's behind the surprise Kochi factor in the IPL deal?

Mumbai: Kochi, has indeed, emerged as a surprise entrant into the Indian Premier League. But who's behind this surprise factor? That is yet another surprise.

Now, the new team could soon pick up a smattering of Gujarati following the stunning auction yesterday in which an unknown consortium called Rendezvous Sports World Ltd (RSWL) picked up the Kochi franchise for a staggering $333.33 million (Rs 1,500 crore), quotes The Telegraph. Pune was taken by the Sahara group for $370 million (Rs 1,665 crore). Sahara boss Subroto Roy was today quoted as saying he would like Sachin Tendulkar, currently skipper of the Mukesh Ambani-

owned Mumbai Indians, to lead his side and have Amitabh Bachchan, a close friend of Mukesh’s estranged brother Anil Ambani, to promote the brand.

Gujarat may have lost out on its IPL dream with Ahmedabad failing to make the cut, but the RSWL consortium comprising a bunch of Gujarati businessmen — and a Kerala scion for local flavour — is keeping the flame of the famed dhanda alive in the backwaters of Kerala.

According to Samyabrata Ray Goswami, IPL insiders said this group of Gujarati businessmen, through their various connections of kinship and friendship, had picked up 50 per cent in the Kochi team.

The sole representative from Kerala is the Elite group of Vivek Venugopal, a well-known company based in Thrissur with interests ranging from packaged food to construction.

Venugopal, sources said, brings to the team local flavour and acceptability given that the other owners are not directly connected with the state.

Mumbai-based Shailendra Gaikwad, who owns the Rendezvous chain of hotels, is another promoter who was present at the auction yesterday in Chennai.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, however, did not mention Shailendra in his tweet yesterday detailing the partners in the consortium, though they were together at the post-auction news conference. But Modi did mention a Ravi and a Sanjay Gaikwad.

While the identity of Ravi could not be established, Sanjay Gaikwad is the managing director of UFO Moviez, the world’s largest digital satellite cinema network. UFO is owned by the Valuable Group, which has the IPL franchise for screening the matches at all multiplexes, restaurants and clubs.

The others in the consortium are a motley gang of high net worth Gujarati businessmen, loosely related to each other and with strong business interests.

Whispers of the Middle East link to the Kochi deal continued today following speculation that the Abu Dhabi-based owners of the English football club Manchester City were behind the curiously stitched-together consortium.

Shashi Tharoor, the junior external affairs minister, who yesterday said he had given the RSWL his “blessings” while denying involvement in the bid, had been chairman of the Dubai-based Afras Ventures after resigning from the UN three years ago.

Among the other partners in the RSWL is Mukesh Patel, who owns a ship-breaking company, called Shri Ram Vessels, in Gujarat’s Alang.

Shri Ram Vessels, in turn, holds a 49.5 per cent stake in a Mumbai realty group called Parinee Developers, among whose other partners are Gujarati businessmen Vipul Shah and Dhaval Shah.

Patel acknowledged that he had, through Parinee Developers, picked up a 10 per cent stake in the RSWL, but added that it was the Gujarat connection that had made him enter the elite IPL club.

“I’m just a businessman and have absolutely no idea about the game of cricket. It is just business for me,” Patel told The Telegraph.

Patel said he had been asked to join the consortium by his friend “Mehulbhai” — Mehul Shah of Anchor — who, he claimed, owned 35 per cent in the consortium.

“Mehul coaxed me to join the consortium along with my business partner Vipul Shah,” Patel said.

Sources said Mehul Shah’s family was associated with Shri Ram Vessels as well. “It is well known in our trade circles that Anchor is the muscle behind Parinee through Shri Ram Vessels,” said a top realty broker in Mumbai.

Patel rebutted the claim. Mehul Shah could not be reached for comment in spite of several calls.

“Parinee is a closely held company which has just got a contract from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to build a 73-floor high-rise in the upscale Bandra-Kurla Complex,” said the realty industry source.

Not much is known about Film Waves, a company that too is part of the consortium. IPL insiders said the company would start investing in Indian cinema shortly.

Who is Rendezvous Sports World Limited

Who is rendezvous sports world limited this is kind of hot now as they are one of the group who kind of won the IPL bid and they hold the IPL Kochi team and Shashi taroor has been a great help in having this organised , So many people have confirmed that he is not the investor .
Mr Lalit Modi has also confirmed on who is this Rendezvous Sports World Limited .In his tweet to the world he has told that Rendezvous group has Vivek Venugopal, Anchor switches, Mukesh Patel, Ravi and Sanjay Gaikwad as part of the consortium.

Vivek Venugopal (Elite Group)-

Elite is a 45 year old diversified group based in South India with major activities in International trade, food processing, distribution, real-estate and construction. The Group has achieved phenomenal growth since its inception.

Anchor Earth (parent company Anchor switches)-

Anchor is one of the largest manufacturer in the world for electrical switches and accessories. Anchor was established more than 40 years ago with one crystal clear vision in mind; to produce quality, and not just products. Anchor has diversified its product base over the years and today caters to the almost all the household electrical and electronics needs. With strategic alliances and technological collaborations with world leaders for its products, Anchor’s technological strength is today on par with the best in the world. Anchor manufactures over 3000 products under 20 major product groups and caters to core sectors of the Indian Economy viz., Electrical and Electronics Industry. The wide network of Anchor’s employees over 7000 people, 10000 dealers and more than 300000 retail outlets enables the Company to promptly serve its customers and provide them with suitable products, systems and services — efficiently and at competitive prices.

Mukesh Patel(owner of ship breaking company Shri Ram Vessels Scrap.)

Shailendra Gaekwad-

who owns the Maharashtra-based firm Rendezvous and some more industrialist are involved behind Rendezvous Sports

Kochi Predicted To Be A Winner of IPL 2011

A day after Lalit Modi announced that IPL have dropped all the controversial qualifiers, Kochi’s chance to an IPL team have grown a lot. Currently people who are interested to bid for Kochi are

• Ashok Piramal Group
• Jaypee Group
• Anchor Electricals
• Muthoot Pappachan Group
• Mohanlal & Priyadarshan

Experts say with these developments, Kochi is going to be one of the top bid teams. Another city that is predicted to win is Ahmedabad with Adani Enterprises, Sahara Group and ICICI bidding for the city. Adani group and Sahara is all set to “show them the money”. Days till March 21st (last day of submitting bids) will be very tensed and only when they open the bids the same day will our anxiety be put to rest. Till than we can just hope for the best because as of now Kochi could not have a better chance. We have our fingers crossed. GO KOCHI!!

Kochi’s IPL Team Dream. Some Facts & Figures

The buzz of Kochi having its own Indian Premier League team has been around for quite sometime. Here is more information on the bidding process. The cities that have been offered as the home location for the franchises are Pune, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Kanpur, Dharamsala, Vizag, Rajkot, Cuttack, Baroda, Cochin, Indore and Gwalior. The auction is scheduled to happen on March 9th 2010.

• This time the process of bidding for teams is extremely difficult unlike in 2008. Among the most contentious clauses is the requirement for the bidder to privide a bank guarantee equivalent to 100 per cent of the money that the winning bidder offers for the 10-year contract within seven days of winning the bid. Where as in 2008, the initial franchisees of the eight IPL teams had to provide only 10 per cent of their bids as bank guarantee.
• Bidders also need to have a net worth of $1 billion as a pre-requisite and offer a pre-bid bank guarantee of $100 million. In the 2008 auctions, prospective bidders paid a pre-bid deposit of Rs 20 crore.
• The minimum bid price has been fixed at a staggering $225 million (Rs 1,042 crore), compared to the base price of $50 million (over Rs 230 crore) when the first auctions were held in 2008.

Kochi IPL Team

Dreams of millions of malayalees aroudn the globe has come true. Believe it. Kochi has a IPL team. We would be playing in IPL 2011.

Rendezvous sports ltd wins Kochi’s IPL team. The owner of the Kochi IPL team is vivek venugopal,a business man based in and out of kerala. Shailendra Gaekwad is also believed to be one of the owners.Vivek Venugopal along with other 5 companies has formed a group called kerala consortium and has won the bid for 1533 Crore rupees.

Companies in the Consortium are
- Anchor Earth
- Parani Development Pvt Ltd
- Anand Shah developers
– Film Waves
(proper list to follow soon)
Shashi Tharoor has played a major role in Kerala getting an IPL team.