Two of India’s biggest franchise cricket teams, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), are looking to buy a team in The Hundred. The tournament being one of the newest cricket tournaments in England is attracting a lot of attention. This shows that IPL teams are interested in expanding their reach beyond India after Carribean Premier League, Major League Cricket, SA20 League, and what not.
The Manchester Originals, a team in The Hundred, is currently owned by Lancashire Cricket Club. KKR and CSK are competing to buy this team. Even though some people have criticized The Hundred’s auction process, the English cricket market is still very attractive to IPL teams.
KKR, owned by Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, already has teams in other countries like the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States. Buying Manchester Originals would help KKR grow even bigger.
CSK, owned by billionaire N. Srinivasan, is one of the most successful teams in the IPL. CSK has won the IPL five times and has many loyal fans. Srinivasan wants CSK to be more popular in other countries, especially England.
Daniel Gidney, the head of Lancashire Cricket Club, is happy to work with an IPL team. He thinks it would help The Hundred become more popular. All 10 IPL teams are interested in English cricket, and several other teams besides KKR and CSK might also buy a team in The Hundred.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is trying to sell The Hundred to private companies, including IPL teams. This is part of a bigger trend where IPL teams are expanding their reach beyond India. KKR and CSK’s interest in Manchester Originals shows that cricket is becoming more global.
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