The business of T20 leagues has grown significantly over the last decade. Since the success of the Indian Premier League, almost every Test-playing nation has launched its own IPL-style T20 competition.
Leagues such as the Big Bash League (Australia), Super Smash (New Zealand) and The Hundred (England) have teams that are centrally owned by the respective nation’s cricket board. However, in various T20 leagues around the world, the owners are private companies and corporate houses.
Not many fans would know that there are many T20 leagues in the world now, where the franchise owners are similar. A franchise owner also owns a team in other leagues. For example, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) recently bought a team in the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
RCB currently has only two franchises, but there are four such franchise owners who have a team in more than three T20 leagues. Here is a list of the four franchise owners:
#1 GMR-JSW Sports: Capitals Universe
GMR-JSW Sports owns the Delhi Capitals (DC) franchise in the Indian Premier League. Big names like Rishabh Pant, David Warner, Anrich Nortje and Mustafizur Rahman play for the Delhi-based franchise in the IPL.
DC didn’t have a team in any other league before 2020, but now, they have a franchise in five different leagues. Their first team was Delhi Capitals of IPL, and then they expanded their business to SA20, Legends League Cricket, International League T20 and Women’s Premier League.
Their women’s team is yet to be named, but the names of their other franchises are Pretoria Capitals, India Capitals and Dubai Capitals.
#2 The Ambani Family: MI Universe
Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani bought the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise in the IPL in 2008. MI has emerged as the most successful team in the IPL so far, winning five championships.
Like Delhi Capitals, MI have expanded their business into various T20 leagues over the last couple of years. MI has bought a team in SA20 (MI Cape Town), International League T20 (MI Emirates) and Women’s Premier League.
#3 Emerging Media IPL Ltd – The Royals Universe
Emering Media IPL Ltd. of Manoj Badale owns a majority stake in the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR). RR were among the first IPL teams to invest in foreign T20 leagues when they bought the Barbados franchise in the Caribbean Premier League.
The four teams they own are Rajasthan Royals (IPL), Barbados Royals (CPL), Barbados Royals Women (WCPL) and Paarl Royals (SA20).
#4 Shah Rukh Khan and the Mehta Group – The Knights Universe
Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and the Mehta Group co-own the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the IPL. KKR also invested in the CPL, buying the Trinidad and Tobago franchise and renaming it Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).
TKR also has a team in the Caribbean Women’s Premier League, and the group’s latest investment was in the United Arab Emirates International T20 League, where they own the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders team. Apart from this, the group also owns a team in the soon to be launched Major League Cricket in the USA.
