Sahara India -- owner of the Pune Warriors franchise -- have pulled out of the IPL over financial differences with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The decision comes three years after it bought the franchise for 370 million dollars, the highest price paid for any of the IPL franchises.
In a lengthy statement, Sahara detailed its dispute with the BCCI over the lowering of franchise fees, which it had sought because the IPL reduced its annual matches from 94. Sahara said it was "disgusted" by the BCCI's attitude towards it and would not rejoin the league even if the entire franchise fee was waived.
"In 2010, Sahara had bid 1,700 crore rupees for the IPL franchise on the basis of revenue calculation on 94 matches. It was tricky on the part of the BCCI to put the number in media as 94 matches for getting bigger amount. But we got 64 matches only," it added. Sahara claimed that the BCCI turned a deaf ear to its pleadings for arbitration and reducing the franchise fee.
"We and the Kochi team immediately protested and requested the BCCI to reduce the bid price proportionately for viable IPL proposition. Nothing was heard," it said.
This is the second time Sahara have pulled out of the IPL; they quit on the day of the 2012 auction and withdrew from sponsorship of the Indian team.
This time, though, Sahara will continue its sponsorship of the Indian team until the end of December 2013, when their present contract expires. "We share an excellent relationship with the players and will not want such dedicated and good human beings who serve the country so committed to get harmed financially due to unsporting attitude of BCCI. So we have given time to BCCI to get the new sponsorship in place from January 2014."