The Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals have acquired a majority stake in Barbados Tridents, following the deal the Caribbean Premier League franchise will be rebranded as Barbados Royals. The progress comes weeks before the CPL 2021, the tournament is set to begin on August 26.
After the Royal Sports Group (EM Sporting Holdings LTD), the owners of the Rajasthan Royals bought a majority stake in Barbados Tridents. The two-time CPL champions will be called the Barbados Royals, a franchise partner of the Rajasthan Royals, as the Royals Sports Groups aims to expand its global outreach.
The rebranded Barbados Royals won CPL in 2014 and 2019 and are currently captained by the West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder. Barbados Royals will kick start their upcoming season of the CPL against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots on August 26 at Warner Park, Basseterre.
Kumar Sangakkara, who is the Director of Cricket of Rajasthan Royals will now work closely with Barbados Royals, the former Sri Lankan cricketer added, “Barbados Royals will be an important part of the Royals’ cricket ecosystem. With a fantastic talent pool of local players, we have the opportunity to innovate and develop strategies that will benefit the Royals Group. We are also excited at the prospect of how we can promote growth in the game of cricket.”
Manish Patel, principal of the Barbados franchise, added, “We are extremely excited about the partnership with Manoj and the Rajasthan Royals family, which will further advance cricket in Barbados and the region.”
Royals Sports Group Chairperson, and the Lead Owner of Rajasthan Royals, Manoj Badale, said, “We are delighted to have signed this deal with Manish Patel, to acquire a majority stake in the Barbados CPL franchise. We are extremely grateful to the Barbados government for their continued support, and we look forward to making a positive impact on both cricket and tourism for the country. We have ambitious plans for the Royals brand globally, and this is an important strategic step.”