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Zaheer Khan to own LPL franchise [Source: X.com]
Zaheer Khan has continued expanding his investments in franchise cricket after becoming a co-owner of an Lanka Premier League (LPL) team. He is set to take over as the co-owner of a team in the middle of the tournament, as it heads into its business end.
This is just a few months after Zaheer Khan became the co-owner of the EUT20 Belgium, having become a part of the Antwerp Anchors family.
Zaheer Khan announced owner of LPL franchise
On Tuesday evening, Zaheer Khan completed all the formalities to become a co-owner of the Jaffna-based franchise, which was previously known as Jaffna Kings.
Moving ahead, Anchor Sports will take over the ownership of the team. Previously known as the Jaffna Kings, the franchise will officially be renamed Jaffna Anchors. This follows Sri Lanka Cricket's decision to terminate the previous ownership group, including former India U19 World Cup winner Manjot Kalra, after a match-fixing scandal.
“I've always admired the calibre, innovation and variety of bowling talent that comes out of Sri Lanka — it's a country I've visited, competed in, and hold very fond memories of. To now be part of Sri Lankan cricket as an owner is something I'm genuinely thrilled about, and I can't wait to get started with the Jaffna Anchors,” said Zaheer Khan in the official statement.
Why did Zaheer Khan replace Manjot Kalra as Jaffna owner?
In the first week of the LPL 2026 season, Jaffna Kings co-owner Manjot Kalra was arrested by the Special Investigation Unit of Sri Lanka Police for alleged involvement in match-fixing.
The former U19 World Cup winner had been a controversial figure since India’s win in 2018 and was allegedly trying to bribe the Jaffna players and influence the matches. Big names from the team like Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando and Dunith Wellalage lodged a complaint against him, leading to his arrest.
Weeks later, it was announced that Sri Lanka Cricket had officially terminated the franchise agreement and taken over the operational control of the franchise.
This is when Zaheer Khan and Anchor Sports came into the picture, and all formalities were done at a brisk pace, so the new owners could take full control of the team before the tournament ended.
On Wednesday, Jaffna Anchors will play their Qualifier 1 against Galle Gallants in Colombo, eyeing yet another final to add to their rich history.
Zaheer Khan expands his horizons
Ever since the World Cup-winning India pacer retired from all forms of the game, he has been actively involved in the sport. He has held multiple positions around various setups, including some time as the Indian team’s bowling consultant, when Ravi Shastri was the head coach.
He has also been the Director of Cricket for Mumbai Indians in 2018 and was later promoted to be the Global Head of Cricket Development when MI invested in foreign leagues. Furthermore, he was Lucknow Super Giants’ mentor in the 2024-2025 period before eventually stepping down from the position.
In 2026, he entered the business side of cricket, starting with his investment in EUT20 Belgium, where his team Antwerp Anchors reached the final of the 2026 season, losing in the last over of the tournament.
Up next, following his announcement as a co-owner of Jaffna Anchors, he has a chance to win his first title as an owner in the coming week if everything falls into place for the LPL team in the playoffs.
Also Read: Zaheer Khan Enters New T20 League After LSG Snub In IPL
