3 IPL franchises that own Caribbean Premier League teams
The Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are perhaps two of the most gripping T20 leagues in the world. While the IPL sees the participation of numerous cricketers from the Caribbean, the same cannot be said for Indians participating in the CPL.
This is mainly due to BCCI's rule of not allowing its players to feature in foreign leagues until retirement. Regardless, the CPL attracts plenty of foreign firepower and offers some high-voltage clashes every season.
It is interesting, however, to note that three of the teams that feature in the CPL are owned by IPL franchises. While the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) became the first CPL team to have an IPL franchise as their owner back in 2015, they were recently joined by two more teams.
Here, we take a look at the three IPL franchises that own teams in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
3 IPL franchises that own CPL teams
#1 Kolkata Knight Riders (Owners of Trinbago Knight Riders)
The Kolkata Knight Riders became the first IPL franchise to own a franchise in the CPL. Back in 2015, the parent company of KKR, Red Chillies Entertainment, bought a stake in the CPL franchise, Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel. The team went on to win CPL 2015, after which they were rebranded as the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).
Captained by Kieron Pollard, the team consists of T20 powerhouses like Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo and Colin Munro amongst many others. TKR are one of the most successful CPL franchises with four title wins in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Also see: CPL 2021 schedule
#2 Punjab Kings (Owners of St. Lucia Kings)
Previously known as St. Lucia Zouks, the team was rebranded after it was acquired by the IPL franchise Punjab Kings ahead of the 2021 season. The CPL team is now owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity Zinta and Karan Paul, who also run the Punjab Kings franchise.
Post the rebranding, St. Lucia Kings also share the same logo as the Punjab Kings, with a different color palette. The team is now captained by South African Faf Du Plessis and has former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy as their team consultant.
“I love the logo and I love the new name. It’s a pleasure to be associated with the Kings Franchise and I truly hope that the name can inspire our players to play like the true Kings that we are,” said team consultant Darren Sammy after the team's rebranding.
Also Read: Check out the full squad and more details about St. Lucia Kings here
#3 Rajasthan Royals (Owners of Barbados Royals)
The third and latest entrants on the list of IPL franchises owning CPL teams are the Rajasthan Royals. A few days before the start of CPL 2021, the IPL 2008 champion announced that they would be acquiring a majority stake in the CPL franchise Barbados Tridents. Captained by Jason Holder, the team was rebranded as the Barbados Royals after the acquisition.
The Barbados Royals have won the CPL twice, in 2014 and 2019. With prominent players like Jason Holder, Asif Ali and Chris Morris, the team holds the depth to upset any opponent on their day. They are coached by Kiwi legend Daniel Vettori.