According to the reports, Limited Over Captain MS Dhoni came forward showing interest in acquiring an IPL team which will be up for the grabs. Dhoni along with Kolkata Business Tycoon Sanjeev Goenka have informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that they have the required resources and the requisite support to acquire the teams whose base price starts from Rs 40 crore onwards.

Sanjeev Goenka, who heads RPG-Sanjeev Goenka group in Kolkata, has shown interest in acquiring a team from any other city other than Kolkata, whose franchise is currently owned by Shah Rukh Khan. Goenka, who is also a co-owner of Atletico Kolkata club in Indian Soccer League (ISL), is ready to invest money in cricket by Former Indian Skipper Sourav Ganguly, who is a partner in Atletico Kolkata club.

“It could be any other city, it could be Ahmedabad, Kanpur or Indore,” a top BCCI source said. On the other side, Dhoni who has told members of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) that he has the support of some Ranchi-based industrialists including the Mittals for the same. A report says that other companies backing Dhoni include Videocon and JSW Steel.

If Dhoni indeed buys a team, it can be assumed that his own name would be on top of the list of players to be directly drafted. It will also see the quartet of Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina – players who have formed the core of the team for years get to continue playing for the same unit.

The ownership of the two new teams that will feature in IPL 2016 is up for grabs till December 8. The team auction has been lined for December 8 while the player auction will be held next year. The new teams will come in place of CSK and RR, which are serving two-year suspension terms. Details of IPL’s new teams will be discussed during a board meeting in Mumbai.