SALE SALE SALE – Kochi Tuskers Kerala up for grabs ? :O

Less than a season after the team's debut, the owners of our city's beloved IPL team, the Kochi Tuskers, are looking to offload their stakes in the team. They are currently in talks with potential buyers. While it is still a shadowy matter, one of the sources in the team revealed that "As per IPL economics, each franchise should be ready to take into their stride losses of around 1-1.3 billion annually for the first four to five years. This can be quite taxing for the present shareholders." We'd imagine so, as 1-1.3 billion translates to a mind boggling one hundred to one hundred and thirty crores… annually. The majority of the stocks are currently held by the Anchor Group and Parinee builders, two Indian corporate companies.

For a low profile team that's only got one season under their belts, they haven't performed too badly; finishing eighth in the final rankings. Other issues have plagued them, though including the now defunct plan to build them a new home stadium and a row between the franchise owners and the muncipal authorities at the Kaloor Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The team has attempted to solve the issue via legal redressal, requesting a 25% reduction in fees in exchange for a similar reduction in the number of matches played by the team. The franchise owners are working on it in their own way, as a source in the Anchor Group hinted that the team might explore the possibility of playing exhibhition matches abroad – which could be indeed quite profitable given the team's huge fan following among the NRI community.

Aah.. Would this be the sign of 'beginning of the end' to Kochi's IPL dreams..? Lets wait and watch.. Aint it, Gallans?

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