Sahara to get consent of franchises on 5th foreigner: IPL

Mumbai: The IPL Governing Council today ratified all the issues agreed upon with the Sahara Group one of which related to the Pune franchise`s request for fielding a fifth foreign player in the playing eleven as a special case in the upcoming fifth season of the T20 League.

After the meeting of the IPL GC, its chairman Rajiv Shukla said all the issues discussed with Sahara have been ratified by the Governing Council. "All the things which were decided with Sahara were ratified by the Governing Council," Shukla said after the meeting at the Cricket Board`s headquarters. "On the fifth foreign player`s issue, (as was agreed upon), Sahara has to get the consent of all other franchises before that matter will be put before the (BCCI) Working Committee, which will take the final call," he said. Sahara Group, the Indian cricket team`s longtime sponsor, had ended its financial ties with the BCCI and also pulled out its team Pune Warriors from the IPL just hours before the players` auction earlier this month. In a bid to break the stalemate, BCCI and the aggrieved Sahara Group reached a compromise after a series of hectic negotiations. Shukla added that IPL`s operational issues were also discussed in the meeting. The dates for IPL 6 have been finalised and the tournament will be held next year from April 3-May 26, he said. Asked about the 10th team for the next edition, Shukla said, "Nothing has been decided." IPL 4 held in 2011 had 10 teams, including Kochi franchise that was scrapped later, but IPL 5, commencing on April 4 and running up to May 27, will feature only nine teams. PTI