Rajasthan Royals announce franchise acquisition in CSA T20 League

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) has announced the acquisition of a Paarl-based team in the upcoming T20 league birthed by Cricket South Africa (CSA), which is going to begin in January next year.

Royals Sports Group (EM Sporting Holdings Ltd), the owners of the RR, made the official announcement on Thursday.

Cricket South Africa (CSA), on Wednesday, announced that the six IPL franchise owners have won bids for the six teams for the South African T20 League taking place in January and February 2023.

The Royals' owners are consolidating their position in cricket by venturing into the proposed South African T20 league.

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RR have already acquired a majority stake in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) by taking the ownership of Barbados Tridents, which has now been renamed the Barbados Royals. In June 2021, RR announced their collaboration with RedBird Capital Partners, the leading sports-focused investor in the United States.

Besides RR, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also have a sister franchise in the CPL as the Trinbago Knight Riders. Punjab Kings (PBKS) owners own St Lucia Kings in the CPL.

This is the second instance in two months this year that Indian groups have acquired teams in an international T20 league, after the Adani Group, Reliance, GMR, Capri Global, and the Knight Riders Group, which operates the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, picked up franchises in the UAE-based T20 League. 

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