Chairman of the RP-SG Group Sanjiv Goenka in an exclusive interview with ToI said ‘we specifically wanted Lucknow as the city of choice.’ The RP-SG Group previously owned the Rising Pune Super Giants (RPS) which played the 2016 & 2017 editions of the IPL.
“If you recall, RPS made had lost the 2017 final to Mumbai Indians so we have some unfinished business in the IPL,”
said. “This is just the beginning. The real intention is to build a team which can win the tournament,” he added.
The RP-SG successfully picked up ownership of the Lucknow franchise after it bid Rs 7,090 cr against the base price of Rs 2,000 cr set by BCCI. The winning bidders have to pay the amount over a 10-year period. “Seen in that light I am extremely satisfied with how things transpired, the valuations can only increase,” Goenka said.
Talking about Lucknow being the city of choice, Goenka highlighted the business interests that the group has in the city. “We also see it as an opportunity to harness the massive interest in cricket there,” he said. The group is yet to decide a name for the team. “We will wait for the BCCI’s retention policy to be announced before finalising a strategy for the auction,” he added. The hunt for the head coach, however, will commence immediately.
“What I eventually have to pay is the difference between what I get from BCCI by way of broadcast rights, etc & what I pay to them as license fee,” Goenka said as he lauded the BCCI for conducting proceeds in a transparent manner.
Goenka also owns the ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League.
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