Knight Riders expand into USA through Major League Cricket investment

The group’s franchises have had many successes on the pitch over the last decade with Kolkata Knight Riders winning the IPL in 2012 and 2014; Trinbago Knight Riders have won the Caribbean Premier League on four of the last six occasions

• USA Cricket takes huge step forward to achieving ultimate dream

Knight Riders Group, owners of Kolkata Knight Riders and Trinbago Knight Riders, have become stakeholders in Major League Cricket.

The group’s franchises have had many successes on the pitch over the last decade with Kolkata Knight Riders winning the IPL in 2012 and 2014; Trinbago Knight Riders have won the Caribbean Premier League on four of the last six occasions, including an unbeaten campaign in 2020.

The investment by the Knight Rider’s group which is led by Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan, along with Juhi Chawla & her husband Jay Mehta, is part of a strategic long-term investment in the future of cricket in the United States

“For several years now, we have been expanding the Knight Riders brand globally and closely watching the potential for T20 cricket in the USA,” Khan said. “We are convinced that Major League Cricket has all the pieces in place to execute on its plans and we look forward to making our partnership an enormous success in the coming years.”

_{Trinbago Knight Riders have won four of the last six Caribbean Premier League titles}

Major League Cricket will be America's premier franchise competition when it gets underway in 2022 and is part of Cricket USA's plan to become a full member nation of the ICC by 2030.

Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan of American Cricket Enterprises and Major League Cricket commented: “By adding the Knight Riders Group to our family of world-class and diverse investors, this investment into the future of Major League Cricket is a huge validation of our vision for the new league, and we are particularly excited to have such an iconic cricketing brand onboard with us.

“As USA Cricket’s official partner in developing a professional T20 league in America, we have a shared vision to bring world-class professional cricket to the world’s largest sports market. The announcement today is a significant step forward in showing the potential of the American market, and we are delighted to have the backing and expertise of the Knight Riders Group to help us achieve this vision.”

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