FRANCHISE OWNERS FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN T20 LEAGUE CONFIRMED

Development plan and growth key criteria for bidder selection. The six franchise owners for South Africa’s T20 League have been confirmed following a rigorous process over the past few months.

The open bid process, managed by Deloitte Corporate Finance, attracted over 29 entities who expressed interest in owning a franchise worldwide. Over 10 venues were made available for interested bidders to own a franchise and all 10 of them received expressions of interest. The six successful bidders who will be part of this significant chapter of South African cricket are:

Newlands, Cape Town

Rise Worldwide Limited, a Reliance Industries Limited group Company, owners of Mumbai Indians

Kingsmead, Durban

RPSG Sports Private Limited, owners of Lucknow Super Giants

St George’s Park, Gqeberha (Formerly Port Elizabeth)

Sun TV Network Limited, owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad

Wanderers, Johannesburg

Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited, owners of Chennai Super Kings

Boland Park, Paarl

Royals Sports Group, owners of Rajasthan Royals

Centurion, Pretoria

JSW Sports, owners of Delhi Capitals

All six successful bidders have extensive experience in operating franchises across multiple sports and deep cricketing expertise through their ownership in the world’s leading T20 tournament, the Indian Premier League.

Commenting on the selection process, the Commissioner for the new league, Graeme Smith said:

“We are thrilled to welcome our new franchise owners to the South African League taking place in January and February 2023. This is truly an exciting time for South African cricket; the overwhelming interest shows that the country remains valued in the global cricketing eco-system.

A robust bidding process was followed to select the final six owners, the decision was informed by a scorecard based on various criteria to ensure the outmost professionalism, independence, and objectivity to the process. I would like to thank Deloitte as our advisors for doing a thoroughly professional job in helping South African cricket find partners who add substantial value to our game.

The strong sports background of the respective owners and the global brands they manage ensures that South African cricket and the broader industry will benefit from their expertise and resources, as they bring stability and experience to the League.“

*> Graeme Smith, Commissioner for the new league

Fans will have the opportunity to watch word-class cricketers, catch a glimpse of the next generation and experience the action first-hand when the League takes off early next year.

“We have already contracted a number of leading international players who will be announced shortly. Combined with our strong South African player base, fans and stakeholders can be assured that the new League will showcase exciting talent and skill,” Smith concluded.