Sharad Pawar, Lalit Modi sanctioned N Srinivasan's bid for Chennai Super Kings

Chennai: Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief N Srinivasan revealed that he had the go-ahead from the top brass of the Indian cricket board, before his firm India Cements decided to bid for Chennai Super Kings, the Chennai-based franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

India Cements’ bid for a team in the IPL had raised quite a stir a decade back, when Srinivasan was holding a the treasurer’s post in the BCCI, along with having links with India Cements as well.

However, Srinivasan brushed away any talks of foul play, by saying that the then BCCI chief and IPL chairman, Sharad Pawar and Lalit Modi respectively, had approved the bids.

"We received an invitation from the then chairman of IPL (Lalit Modi) asking whether India Cements would bid," Srinivasan was quoted as saying in Cricbuzz.

"So I took this letter and wrote to the then BCCI president Mr. (Sharad) Pawar asking if we can bid since I was the BCCI treasurer and MD and promoter of India Cements. Although everyone knew this story, they chose to ignore it,” he continued.

"I get a reply back from Mr. Pawar saying that 'I have consulted all my colleagues and there is no bar on India Cements to take the tender and bid for an IPL team'. This was given in writing from him and following all due processes, the BCCI was asked and we went ahead,” said Srinivasan.