Shah Rukh Khan wearing KKR cap (Source: AFP Photos)
Shah Rukh Khan, a household name across the globe and also the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), is interested in buying a franchise in The Hundred, England’s most popular franchise competition.
BBC Journalist Timothy Abraham reported that Shah Rukh Khan’s Knight Riders Group (KRG) could be open to buying a significant stake in a team in The Hundred whenever the competition decides to expand.
The Hundred is currently an eight-team competition, and given that the Big Bash League (BBL) is also planning to make it a 10-team tournament, don’t be surprised if England’s league follows the same formula, just like the Indian Premier League (IPL).
However, if that happens for real, Knight Riders Group, in all likelihood, will surely have a team in The Hundred in the near future.
Knight Riders Interested In Buying Trent Rockets
Before the start of the recently concluded edition, Knight Riders were interested in buying Trent Rockets, who won the Hundred Men 2026 and finished as the runners-up in the Hundred Women 2026.
However, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly’s Cain International bought 49 per cent of the stake in Trent Rockets for around £40m, which, as the BBC reported, felt ‘slightly overvalued’ by the Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders Group. Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire kept the 51 per cent of the stake in Trent Rockets.
Also Read: Super Giants Ace To CSK? The Hundred Stars Who Can Get Maiden Contract In IPL 2027 Auction
Moreover, Trent Rockets had the lowest valuation among all eight teams in The Hundred 2026. Yet, KKR missed out on the opportunity to buy him. Now, they are once again back in expressing interest over buying a team in England.
How Many IPL Owners Are Already In The Hundred?
At present, four out of eight teams from The Hundred are bought by IPL owners. They are Manchester Super Giants (bought by Lucknow Super Giants / Super Giants Group headed by Sanjiv Goenka), MI London (bought by Mumbai Indians Group headed by Mukesh Ambani), Sunrisers Leeds (bought by Sunrisers Group ft. Kavya Maran) and Southern Brave (bought by Delhi Capitals' GMR Group).
Thus, if the Knight Riders Group manage to buy a new team in The Hundred 2026, they will be the fifth team to have something in England’s premier cricket competition.
Who Can Knight Riders Buy In The Hundred?
If Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders Group buy a team in The Hundred, the BBC reported that a team from Durham and one between Bristol and Taunton could be their home in the future.
However, there is little chance that they can get the opportunity to have that before 2028.
The Hundred’s current broadcast deal covers its media rights until 2028, and adding two more teams will bring more fixtures to the competition. So, the Knight Riders, until and unless there is some miraculous change in the system, can only have a team in 2029.
Also Read: The Hundred Women’s Winners List 2021-2026
