UAE T20 League: Knight Riders Group owns Abu Dhabi franchise
The UAE T20 League will be the new flagship T20 tournament in the country, sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board. It will be Knight Riders Group's third T20 franchise.
FollowThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) is all set to expand in terms of Twenty20 (T20) cricket. A new UAE T20 League is all set to be introduced, which will be the country's flagship T20 tournament, approved by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). Meanwhile, the Knight Riders Group has owned the Abu Dhabi franchise of the tournament, making it its third T20 franchise after Indian Premier League's (IPL's) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Caribbean Premier League's (CPL's) Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). The Bollywood Superstar Shah Ruh Khan-owned group will also make the fourth investment by owning a T20 side in the upcoming Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States of America (USA).
After acquiring the Abu Dhabi franchise, which is likely to be named Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR), SRK said, "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."
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Meanwhile, UAE’s T20 League Chairman, Khalid Al Zarooni, noted, “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.”
Mubashshir Usmani (ECB's General Secretary) added, “We are pleased with the association of the Knight Riders Group with the League as a franchise team owner, we are very confident that this association will be mutually beneficial for both Knight Riders brand and the League. UAE’s T20 League will attract some of the biggest names in world cricket while also giving a platform and international exposure to local and upcoming players."
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On the other hand, KKR and Red Chillies Entertainment CEO, Venky Mysore concluded, "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."
