Manchester United in IPL? Fans want Ronaldo-Kohli union as Glazers may bid for new team

Manchester United fans were sent into a frenzy on Wednesday night not only because their favourite team emerged 3-2 victorious in their UEFA Champions League encounter against Atalanta, but also because the owners have reportedly shown interest in purchasing an IPL team ahead of the 2022 season.

According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) extended the deadline of the Invitation to Tender (ITT) to October 20 as they were keen on giving the Glazer family, which owns Manchester United as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an opportunity to claim the ITT document.

Netizens react as Glazers family keen on purchasing IPL franchise

One netizen posted a hilarious meme of Cristiano Ronaldo leading an IPL team after Manchester United's owners reportedly demonstrated interest in purchasing a franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 season.

Meanwhile, some fans wondered what would the Glazer family name the IPL team if they ended up winning the bid for a franchise. One user wrote that they could name the team, 'Mumbai United' and feature a 'Red and white' jersey, thereby having their own 'Mumbai Derby.' The other team from Mumbai is Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai Indians team that has won the tournament a record five times.

Meanwhile, some other fan reactions can be seen below.

Manchester United owners keen on buying an IPL franchise

The news of Manchester United owners being interested in purchasing a franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 season was confirmed by ANI. While speaking to ANI, the source said, "Well yes, it is true that they have shown interest and that may be one of the reasons why the dateline was extended by the BCCI. IPL is not just restricted to India, it is a global entity now."

Meanwhile, PTI confirmed that Manchester United had picked up an IPL team bid document. A senior BCCI official told PTI, "Yes, the Glazers have picked up the bid document. Obviously, IPL is now a globally acknowledged sports property and international firms will be interested. Whether they would bid at all or whether they would be later interested in buying stakes in an existing IPL team, we don't know."