Kolkata Knight Riders buy Abu Dhabi team, 3rd IPL team to invest in UAE T20 League after MI, DC

Bengaluru, May 11: The new T20 league in UAE has attracted considerable investment from Indian firms, owners of IPL teams and the latest to join the list is Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, currently struggling in the bottom half of the IPL 2022, has acquired the right to own the Abu Dhabi franchise in the UAE T20 league. It has been named as Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

It may be recalled that the KKR group, the Red Chillies Entertainment co-owned by Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, now own three other T20 teams, apart form the Kolkata Knight Riders.

They also own Caribbean Premier League franchise Trinbago Knight Riders, the a franchise in Major League Cricket in the USA and now the Abu Dhabi team in the UAE T20 league.

"For several years now, we have been expanding the Knight Riders brand globally and closely watching the potential for T20 cricket in the UAE. We are excited about becoming part of UAE's T20 League, which no doubt will become hugely successful,” said Shah Rukh Khan in a statement.

Venky Mysore, the CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders, said: "We feel fortunate to have been consistently recognized as a global brand in T20 cricket. As T20 cricket expands around the world, we are flattered by the regular invitations to play a major role in growing the sport across the world. We have had a keen interest in the developments in the UAE and our expansion is consistent with our long-term strategy.”

"The commitment to grow the T20 format and the expertise gathered by the Knight Riders Group, through their involvement in franchise cricket across the world, is undisputed.

“We are exceptionally pleased with their foresight to join forces with the UAE's T20 League and firmly believe it will elevate the reputation, and professionalism of the League throughout the cricket community,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, chairman of the UAE T20 League.

In fact, the KKR group is the sixth owner in the 6-team UAE T20 league which will have six teams and 34 matches. The window for the tournament has not been determined as yet but the organisers want to stage the tournament in 2022 itself.

It has been speculated that the UAE T20 officials are aiming at the June window immediately after the IPL 2022. The IPL 2022 ends on May 29 and the officials want to stage the tournament on the immediate aftermath because the players can travel to the UAE from India itself and the bubble-to-bubble transfer too is possible.

The UAE T20 league already has 5 team owners apart from the KKR. They are: 1. Reliance Strategic Ventures Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, owners of Mumbai Indians, 2. GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals, 3. Adani Group, an Indian industrial and shipping major based in Gujarat, 4. Capri Global, a finance company based in India, 5. Lancer Capital: Owners of Manchester United.

It may be recalled that Adani Group, Capri Global and Lancer Capitals were also in the fray to buy two new franchises in the IPL earlier this year. In the end, RPSG Group bought Lucknow team and CVC Capitals purchased the Ahmedabad team.