By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : With the Sword of Damocles hanging over new IPL franchise Kochi, Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) secretary T.C. Mathew Sunday expressed the hope that issues related to its ownership would soon be resolved.
“To the best of my knowledge, whatever slight differences of opinion the partners had has been settled and they are working together to see that the team becomes a reality,” Mathew told IANS.
The IPL governing council, at its meeting in Mumbai Sunday terminated the contracts of Rajasthan Royals and King XI Punjab for breaches of agreement. The meeting also gave the Kochi franchise 10 days to resolve its ownership issues.
“Over the past one week, they have been burning the midnight oil to see that the internal issues between the partners of the Kochi franchise are settled in the best interest of all, especially the cricket loving Keralites,” Mathew said.
“They have to act fast and I believe they are doing just that,” he added.
Last week, Mathew had detailed interactions the various partners of the Kochi franchise and has been urging them to settle all outstanding issues.
In March, Rendezvous Sports World had won the franchisee rights for the Kochi IPL team for Rs.1,500 crore.
Rendezvous Sports World is owned by a consortium that includes businessman Vivek Venugopal. Shailendra Gaekwad is also one of the owners.