Shahrukh, Ambani win bids teams in Indian Premier League
Mumbaii, India - Jan 24, 2008

Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan and industrialist Mukesh Ambani won bids on Thursday to own teams in the star-studdded Twenty20 Indian Premier League, organisers said.

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, film actress Preity Zinta and four companies also earned the right to own franchises for the IPL to be played across India in April-May.

The tournament, featuring eight franchised city-based teams drawn from a star cast of cricket's top players, will be held over 44 days in 12 Indian cities from April 18, Modi said.

Shahrukh will own the Kolkata team for the next 10 years, while Zinta got Mohali, Ambani has Mumbai and Mallya heads Bangalore.

Reliance's Ambani paid the highest bid of 111.9 million dollars to bag the Mumbai team, Mallya secured Bangalore for $111,6-million, while Shahrukh got Kolkata for $75,09-million.

GMR Holdings paid $84-million for Delhi, India Cements secured Chennai for $91-million, and the Deccan Chronicle newspaper got Hyderabad for $107,01-million.

Zinta bagged Mohali for $76-million and Emerging Media paid $67-million for Jaipur.

Each of the franchises will now take part in an auction for players next month.

Test captains Ricky Ponting of Australia, Graeme Smith of South Africa, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and Shoaib Malik of Pakistan are among the 80 international cricketers contracted for the IPL.

The entire Indian team, which won the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September, will also play.

The top two sides in the tournament, boasting prize money of $3-million, will qualify for an international Champions Twenty20 League, which will be held at an undecided venue in October.

Earlier this month, a consortium of India's Sony Television network and the Singapore-based World Sports Group bought the media rights for the next 10 years for a whopping $1-billion.

The IPL, the brainchild of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is backed by the International Cricket Council and supported by cricket boards around the world.

Winners

Bangalore Team -- -- Vijay Mallya ------ ------------ $111.6 million

Mumbai Team ----- -- Mukesh Ambani ----- ------- $111.9 million

Kolkata Team ---- --- Shah Rukh Khan ------- ---- $75.09 million

Delhi Team -------- -- GMR ------------------------ ---- $ 84 million

Chennai Team -- --- India Cement ------------ ----- $91 million

Mohali Team ---- ---- Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia - - $76 million

Jaipur Team ------ --- Emerging Media ------- ------ $67 million

Hyderabad Team - - Deccan Chronicle ------ ------ $107.1 million