The Cricket Board on Monday said it was not interested in reacting to a statement issued by former captain Kapil Dev that the BCCI-promoted Indian Premier League (IPL) would sound a death-knell for domestic tournaments like the Ranji and Deodhar trophies.“We don’t want to react to what he has said,” BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah told PTI, but some other board sources questioned how the driving force behind Essel Group-promoted rebel cricket league ICL can point fingers at the IPL.“We want to know how Kapil Dev’s ICL is not spoiling domestic cricket and the IPL would do so. It’s totally an illogical statement. He’s a frustrated man,” they said when asked for their reaction.The reaction was to Kapil’s statement to PTI on Monday .“Now that BCCI have sold the eight teams, it is to be seen as to what will happen to states and institutions affiliated to it,” Kapil had said.“What will happen to state players besides state associations is another question. No one will want to play Ranji Trophy or Deodhar Trophy. We do not know what would happen to these traditional events.”“The 75 years of tradition and convention of the Board is lost,” Kapil rued.ICL was floated much before BCCI retorted with the announcement of IPL, an officially sanctioned Twenty20 League by the International Cricket Council (ICC).Though ICL began with their first tournament in Chandigarh at the end of last year, IPL has since then stolen the thunder by roping in 80 top ranked cricketers into its fold.IPL’s Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi, a Vice-President of the BCCI, has been in the forefront of selling its media rights for the next ten years for USD 1.026 billion.The IPL last week sold eight city-based franchise teams for USD 723.6 million to further swell the overflowing BCCI coffers.The IPL is currently looking out for a title sponsor and six associate sponsors for its 44-day League spanning 59 matches starting in April.Each team would be a mix of international cricketers from overseas, Indian internationals and domestic players. The base price to be paid to a non-contracted player from the country would be USD 50,000.The players’ auction is scheduled early next month.
