Without having to look for a suitable candidate from outside, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has found a replacement for Sundar Raman from within. Ratnakar Shetty, a BCCI old-timer, has been entrusted with the task of running the affairs of the Indian Premier League (IPL). There is no immediate indication if it is just a temporary arrangement.

Mirror has learnt that Shetty, a general manager with the portfolio of game of development, has been told to look into the day-to-day affairs of the IPL. BCCI president Shashank Manohar and secretary Anurag Thakur are understood to have asked him to take up the additional responsibility during board's Annual General Meeting last week. The move was necessitated following the exit of Sundar, who recently resigned as the COO of the league.

The BCCI top brass may still make a few appointments in the IPL. Dheeraj Malhotra, who has been long touted to join the league, may come on board any time as an official in charge of logistics and operations. He is understood to have been spoken to by the board bosses. IMG is also there to help run the league smoothly. Meanwhile, things should start rolling for the IPL from this week. Advertisements for two new teams are expected to appear in the newspapers on Monday and ITT documents will be on sale in the board office. Thshse two new teams will be finalised on December 8, when the bids are expected to be opened.

As for Sundar, there is a talk of him joining the Reliance Jio, an ambitious 4G project of the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) which has been in the pipeline for quite some time. It is understood that Rilance Jio will also deal in business of sports — content, marketing, etc - and Sundar, who has worked for the IPL for nine years, is deemed as a candidate suitable for the new venture. RIL's other sports engagements like Mumbai Indians and ISL, may also come under his purview.

Source - Ahmedabad Mirror