Kolkata Knight Riders are the only team in the Indian Premier League that invests time and money in different T-20 leagues. The Kolkata-based franchise is now set to buy a stake in the USA’s Major League Cricket (MLC), reports ESPNcricinfo.
The tournament is reportedly going to kick off in 2022. KKR will not only have a team in the tournament, but they will also have a stake in the league. It is a significant step for cricket in the USA that a world-famous cricket franchise is investing in the country’s first T-20 tournament. The investment in MLC from KKR is strategic and they are likely to act as consultants to USA’s first major T-20 league. According to Mumbai Mirror, LA Knight Riders is set to be the name of the team owned by KKR in the USA.
Along with having a team in IPL, KKR has also invested in Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The Knight Riders group owns Trinbago Knight Riders in CPL. TKR has enjoyed significant success under the ownership of Knight Riders group as they have won four CPL titles since 2015. In the IPL, KKR has managed to win two titles in 13 seasons.
The Knight Riders group is principally owned by Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, and Jay Mehta. Earlier this year, KKR also had signed USA international Ali Khan for IPL 2020. Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to play for the franchise during the tournament due to an injury.
Considering the popularity of T-20 cricket across the globe, this is a smart acquisition made by KKR. Cricket is yet to explode in the USA, but getting big names like KKR on board will provide the ideal springboard to achieve success. KKR is also becoming a world-famous franchise by acquiring big T-20 teams across the globe, a model that football clubs follow in Europe.