Rajasthan Royals become co-owners of Caribbean Premier League team
Jason Holder to lead the squad in upcoming edition in St Kitts from August 26
Kolkata: Rajasthan Royals, the IPL franchise, will become the second team of the league to own a majority stake in a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) outfit - the Barbados Tridents. The two-time CPL champions will be rebranded as Barbados Royals as the Royals Sports Group seeks to expand its global presence.
The first IPL team to do it was Kolkata Knight Riders, who own the Trinidad team called Trinbago Knight Riders. The upcoming edition of CPL will be played between August 26 and September 15, with all 33 games to be played at Warner Park in St Kitts and Nevis,
The Royals, led by former West Indies Test captain Jason Holder, are scheduled to start their campaign in the league next month. The remaining matches of IPL 2021, which was suspended in India in May due to a rising number of Covid-19 cases, will then be held in the UAE from September 19 to October 15.
Speaking about the acquisition, Manoj Badale, Lead Owner of Rajasthan Royals 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.”
Kumar Sangakkara, the Director of Cricket of Royals whose role now includes the Barbados Royals, said: “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 Tridents franchise, said: “We are extremely excited about the partnership with Manoj and the Rajasthan Royals family, which will further advance cricket in Barbados and the region.”
Earlier in June, Rajasthan Royals had announced a collaboration with RedBird Capital Partners, a leading sports-focused investor in the United States.