Cricket South Africa launched its new T20 Global League in London on Monday, announcing the host cities and owners of the eight teams ahead of the player draft on Aug. 19. The owners include film actor and producer Shah Rukh Khan, who also has a stake in the Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders, and the GMR Group, who own the Delhi Daredevils. SRK’s team will be called Capetown Knight Riders.
This is SRK’s third team in T20 cricket leagues after Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League and Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League. South African legend JP Duminy has been allotted as the marquee player for the Cape Town Knight Riders.
“On behalf of all of us from Knight Riders, congratulations to Cricket South Africa for the launch of exciting new T20 Global League. We are delighted and thankful that you have made Knight Riders part of the new Global League. South Africa is a beautiful country with beautiful people and I really look forward to be part of the exciting new journey and building something special together. We are particularly thrilled to make Cape Town and Newlands our new home away from home,” said Shah Rukh Khan.
The competition, hoping to emulate the success of competitions such as the IPL and Australia’s Big Bash, is set to start in November, with the final to be played on Dec. 16. We are certain that our final eight owners have the perfect combination of strategic insight and passion needed to make the first T20 Global League a complete success, said Cricket South Africa president Chris Nenzani said.
Teams will be hosted in eight centres around South Africa – Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Stellenbosch and Benoni. Marquee players already signed up include former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, current England limited overs players Eoin Morgan and Jason Roy, and ex-internationals Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) and Chris Gayle (West Indies). Almost 400 players from 10 countries have confirmed their interest in being part of the draft.
Extremely happy & proud to be part of Global League. Will try our best to make Cape Town & Newlands proud of us. https://t.co/WcY81D9gek
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) June 20, 2017