Cricket fans in the Indian state of Kerala heaved a big sigh of relief when BCCI approved the documents submitted by IPL’s Kochi franchise Rendezvous Sports World in Mumbai.

The team owners and Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will sign the contract on Saturday, putting an end to speculations that the Kochi IPL team would be scrapped.

Earlier on Friday, there were reports among a section of Indian media that the team had sold its 25 per cent stake to an ‘unknown party’.

An Indian newspaper quoted the sources as saying: ‘‘BCCI has been confidentially told that a minister, a former India captain and a cricketer who’s currently playing for India are also part of the consortium. Their names should also figure in the agreement document.’’

Kochi team CEO Shailendra Gaikwad submitted the records, which have no mention of any politician or cricketer, to the BCCI. Earlier, Kochi team’s co-owner Vivek Venugopal, while talking to Khaleej Times, termed the reports as “absolutely baseless.”

“There is no truth. Such reports are planted by vested interests,” Venugopal said.

“I don’t know who is behind spreading such baseless reports. How can it be possible to sell stakes without getting ownership status from the BCCI?

“We have followed the tender document in letter and spirit. No official statement has come to us from the BCCI on any such issue.

“The IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi has also denied any such development,” he added.

“No such thing was possible,” Modi wrote in his Twitter account.

Rendezvous Sports World, a consortium of five companies, had bagged the Kochi franchise in the bid held in Chennai last month for a staggering $333.3 million.

The Rendezvous group, Parini Developers, Anand Shah Estate, Anchor Earth Private Limited and Film Waves are the owners of the team.

Meanwhile, media reports from Kerala indicated that a prominent person in the IPL and a chief minister were behind circulating news against the Kochi team. There were efforts to woo some Gujarat-based companies in the consortium to scuttle the chances of a Kochi team, the reports said.

“I cannot say whether any lobby is behind the current issue,” TC Mathew, secretary of Kerala Cricket Association, was quoted as saying by a news agency report on Friday.
Punjab team for sale?

Meanwhile another media report from India indicated that Kings XI Punjab, who is almost out from the IPL semifinal race for the third edition, could be up for sale.

An Indian TV channel, quoting sources, said that three owners — Ness Wadia, Mohit Burman and Karan Paul — are interested in selling their stake off. However another co-owner Preity Zinta is very keen on staying on board with the team, the report said.