Mukesh Ambani, Kavya Maran In IPL Owners Labelled Dictators As Pakistan Team Owner Alleges Monopoly

Mukesh Ambani, Kavya Maran [Source: X]

The business of T20 cricket has changed rapidly over the last few years. Earlier, franchise owners mainly focused on one league. Now, several Indian Premier League (IPL) owners are expanding their presence across different countries. 

As a result, many major T20 leagues now feature teams connected to IPL franchises. This growing influence has started an important debate in the cricket world.

Dominance Of IPL Owners In T20 League

Several IPL owners already control teams in leagues such as SA20 in South Africa, ILT20 in the UAE, Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States, and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

In many cases, these franchises even carry similar names and branding. Reliance Industries, owners of Mumbai Indians, along with groups connected to Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants, have all expanded globally.

Meanwhile, a strong statement from Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise owner Fawad Sarwar has created fresh controversy. 

Sarwar, a US-based Pakistani entrepreneur and head of Kingsmen Sports Enterprise, claimed that Indian owners are creating a monopoly in global T20 cricket.  According to him, new investors find it difficult to enter several leagues due to the influence of existing IPL-linked groups.

Kingsmen Sports secure ownership rights for Jamaica-based franchise 

It is important to note that recently, Kingsmen Sports Enterprise secured ownership rights for a Jamaica-based franchise in the Caribbean Premier League. This marks the return of a Jamaica-based team to the CPL after 2023. 

Along with this development, the company also owns the Hyderabad Kingsmen franchise in the PSL and the Chicago Kingsmen in Minor League Cricket in the United States.

The Hyderabad Kingsmen franchise was purchased during a historic PSL auction held at the Jinnah Convention Centre on January 8. Kingsmen secured the rights with a successful bid of Rs 1.75 billion, which equals around $6.2 million. 

Also Read: Team Owner Goenka Pleads BCCI To Save IPL

PSL Team Owner Makes Bold Statement 

However, Sarwar believes the current global T20 structure favors Indian investors. Speaking on the Relukattay YouTube channel, he openly criticized the system.

"Indian owners are sitting there & they don’t let anyone enter. Realistically, when The Hundred expands, we’ll be there. If the BBL gets privatized, we’ll be there as well. In the other leagues, there’s no hope. There’s a whole gang operating there. It’s all a ‘family, family’ thing going on. CPL did prefer us, no administrator wants one-way traffic or a dictatorship to continue," he said.

Interestingly, his comments arrived at a time when IPL-linked ownership is already increasing in many tournaments. Three out of the six teams in the Caribbean Premier League are connected to IPL owners. 

Similarly, all eight franchises in The Hundred sold ownership stakes, last year. Four of those teams are now backed by companies linked to IPL franchises, while the remaining sides are supported by American investors.

Notably, Kavya Maran has also become one of the most recognized faces in global cricket ownership. As CEO and co-owner of the Sun Group’s cricket ventures, she plays a key role in Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20, and Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred.

At the same time, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries has built one of the biggest cricket networks in the world. The Mumbai Indians ownership group now controls six different teams across global T20 leagues. Therefore, the growing dominance of Indian businessmen in franchise cricket is clearly visible.

Also Read: Mohsin Naqvi's Pakistan On Course For New Tournament Before Australia Series