Bhubaneswar: Cuttack is among the six cities put up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be included in the auction process for expansion of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
From the six cities shortlisted, two would be added in the IPL in the coming years.
Currently, there are eight teams in the country competing in the cash-rich cricket league.
The BCCI has released the names of six cities which include Guwahati, Ranchi, Cuttack (eastern region), Ahmedabad (west), Lucknow (central zone) and Dharamsala (north).
The list has been prepared keeping the zonal imbalance and business opportunities in mind, reported Cricbuzz. A base price of Rs 2000 crore has been set for the new teams. The process for finalizing the auction of the cities would take at least a month.
It’s been reported that the BCCI is targeting the Hindi-speaking belt, as data reveals large sports viewership from that part of the country. The television viewership of sporting events like IPL and recently concluded Olympic Games were much higher than any other region.