IPL franchise owners of teams like Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and co-owners of Delhi Capitals on Wednesday were announced as winners of all six teams which will participate in South Africa’s upcoming new T20 League.
Issuing a official statement, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said that the six franchise owners were confirmed following a rigorous process over the past few months.
While Reliance Industries Limited, owners of Mumbai Indians, will operate the Cape Town team based at Newlands, RPSG Sports Private Limited, owners of Lucknow Super Giants, acquired the Durban franchise based at Kingsmead.
Meanwhile, Sun TV Network Limited, owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad, picked Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) franchise with home venue at St George’s Park while Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited, owners of Chennai Super Kings, acquired the Johannesburg franchise with base at Wanderers.
Royals Sports Group, owners of Rajasthan Royals, bought the Paarl franchise based at Boland Park while JSW Sports, co-owners of Delhi Capitals, bought the Pretoria franchise based at SuperSport Park.
Commenting on the development, Graeme Smith, the newly appointed commissioner of the upcoming T20 League in South Africa, welcomed all the new franchise owners of the league and said: “We are thrilled to welcome our new franchise owners to the South African League taking place in January and February 2023. This is truly an exciting time for South African cricket; the overwhelming interest shows that the country remains valued in the global cricketing eco-system.”
“A robust bidding process was followed to select the final six owners, the decision was informed by a scorecard based on various criteria to ensure the utmost professionalism, independence, and objectivity to the process. I would like to thank Deloitte as our advisors for doing a thoroughly professional job in helping South African cricket find partners who add substantial value to our game. The strong sports background of the respective owners and the global brands they manage ensures that South African cricket and the broader industry will benefit from their expertise and resources, as they bring stability and experience to the League,” he added.
Smith finally concluded by hinting at announcing the international players of the new T20 League in near future and said: “We have already contracted a number of leading international players who will be announced shortly. Combined with our strong South African player base, fans and stakeholders can be assured that the new League will showcase exciting talent and skill.”