Mumbai: After the news of two more teams being added to the extravagant Indian Premier League in 2011 started doing the rounds, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan took maximum interest in the report.
The actor has showed interest in purchasing an IPL franchise for the 2011 edition and he also met the League’s Chairman Lalit Modi on Wednesday to discuss the feasibility of the prospect.
The report was confirmed by Modi when he said that Salman had approached to discuss all the pros and cons of buying an IPL team. Modi also confirmed that the actor would be buying one of the new teams and was not interested in any of the existing ones.
“We were having a discussion for last few months but this is our first official meeting,” Modi said.
Modi said although it was too early to say anything but he felt the actor was a “serious buyer”.
“He was interested to know what it takes to own a team, what’s the process, when it will be initiated and what’s the timeline for it. I think he is a serious buyer,” Modi said.
IPL is set to introduce two new teams in the 2011 season and the franchise may “cost over USD 200-300 million.
Asked if he was interested in any particular existing team or a new team, Modi said “it’s for a new team”.
It has been learnt that Salman eyes to buy either Nagpur or Kochi team.
A lot of Bollywood actors are a part of the cash-rich T20 League with Shah Rukh Khan owning the Kolkata Knight Riders, Preity Zinta with partner Ness Wadia owning the Kings XI Punjab, and Shilpa Shetty, with beau Raj Kundra, owning the Rajasthan Royals.
Modi also dropped hints that more celebrity names might come up with the process going into the later stages as it was a hot venture at the moment.
“We have large number of people interested in it with over 20 celebrities asking to become franchisees, although I don’t want to name them,” he said.
Modi also admitted that having a film star added to the glitter of the event.
“It does add to the spark (of the event),” he said.
Asked whether other Bollywood stars like Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt were also keen to bid for IPL teams, Modi said these were just speculation.
“Honestly speaking, none of them have approached us. These are just speculation. It is too early to say who are the people who will bid for the teams”, he said.
Modi said the IPL organising committee will inform all the prospective buyers once it begins the bidding process.
Salman-SRK rivalry has been doing the rounds currently after the latter was detained in an airport in the US for security check. Salman’s comments went against King Khan when he said that he (Salman) has always been checked and frisked while traveling in America and SRK’s issue should not be given much importance.
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