Bollywood star set to buy SA T20 team

CAPE TOWN — Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan is reportedly set to buy a franchise in the new T20 Global League.

Khan owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, the Kolkata Knight Riders, and has stakes in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team, the Trinbago Knight Riders.

According to a report on the Mumbai Mirror website, Khan’s sport management team has been in talks with Cricket South Africa (CSA) as he wants to buy a team based either in Johannesburg or Cape Town.

The Indian publication also reported that Khan sent his emissary to South Africa for discussion with CSA chief executive, Haroon Lorgat.

This isn’t the first time a IPL franchise has been linked to the new T20 Global League, after Sport24 reported last month that IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils were also interested in bidding to buy a team in South Africa.

The eight successful team owners will be announced on Monday, June 19 in London.

The process of applying to own and operate a team opened in February with more than 150 expressions of interest that will be narrowed down to just eight.

The marquee Proteas players include Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir.

The marquee international players who have all agreed playing league contracts include West Indians Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, English power hitters Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Jason Roy, Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga and Kiwi Brendon McCullum.

The eight international marquee players will be entered into a mini-draft with the highest bidding franchise owner having first pick and the rest following the same process.

Each franchise team will also be allocated a Proteas marquee player. — Sport24.