The BCCI working group "is leaning towards recommending that the two suspended IPL franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, be run under new management for the next two years as a stop-gap arrangement," according to Gollapudi & Karhadkar of ESPN CRICINFO. The group "is against replacing them with new teams unless there are compelling financial reasons." The option of outright termination "is not even on the table." According to a working group member, running the franchises under a new independent management is the "safest option at the moment, though he conceded that the alternative of inviting bids for two new teams and putting the players of Super Kings and Royals in the auction could be the most 'logical' option." The majority of the working group members "felt inviting bids for new teams would only complicate matters further, as the IPL would then become a 10-team event from 2018." The working group member said, "No doubt our immediate priority is to ensure smooth conduct of IPL 2016. But we also need to keep future in mind. Most stakeholders expressed that the IPL model works best with eight teams" (ESPN CRICINFO, 8/19).
