Owners of 2008 IPL champions Rajasthan Royals have acquired a majority stake in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise Barbados Tridents, becoming the third IPL franchise from the cash-rich league to get associated with the CPL after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Royals Sports Group (EM Sporting Holdings Ltd), the owners of the Rajasthan Royals, made the announcement on Friday.
The 2014 and 2019 CPL champions will now be called as Barbados Royals. Describing the same, the lead owner of Rajasthan Royals, Manoj Badale, 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.”
An exciting partnership. A growing #RoyalsFamily. 💗@BarbadosRoyals – all you need to know. 👇😁#HallaBol | @CPL
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) July 30, 2021
Kumar Sangakkara will also be monitoring the progress of the Barbados franchise. Talking about his role, he 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.”
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Minister of Tourism and International Transport for Barbados, Senator, Lisa Cummins, added, “The Caribbean, and Barbados more specifically in this instance, have long been globally revered for their cricketing prowess, which continues to be one of the strongest pillars of our sports tourism offering.
He further added, “The expansion of our audience through this new partnership will enable us to showcase how we have married this beloved sport with the immersive experiences our destination has to offer, on a much wider scale.”
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In June, Rajasthan Royals had partnered with RedBird Capital Partners, the leading sports-focused investor from the United States. The Barbados franchise, led by the experienced former West Indies captain Jason Holder, is scheduled to start the upcoming CPL campaign against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots on August 26.
