Mumbai, Dec 17 (IANS) Putting to rest all speculations over Lalit Modi’s future as the Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman and commissioner, the Indian cricket board Thursday made it clear that he would hold the office till his five-year term ends in 2012.
Modi’s future as the IPL boss was in doubt after some reports claimed that some key Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials were planning to curtail his powers from the management of the Twenty20 extravaganza.

But BCCI president Shashank Manohar said that Modi, who is also the vice-president in the board, will stay in power in the IPL.

“There has to be some continuity and I want to make it clear that Mr Modi will remain in the post till 2012 and nobody can remove him from that,” said Manohar said after the IPL Governing Council’s meeting here Thursday.

The governing council also said that the next year’s IPL would start in Hyderabad March 12 and the final will be hosted at the D.Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai April 25.

It said the minimum bid for the two teams, to be added to the IPL in 2011, would be $225 million. The maximum limit in the January 9 players’ auction would be $750,000.