Kolkata: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s Knight Riders Group, announced Tuesday their foray into the untapped US cricket market. Shah Rukh Khan’s company is investing in development of Major League Cricket (MLC) in the US with a multi-million dollar T20 tournament.
As per the deal the Knight Riders, will join hands with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE). This will enable them to become a stakeholder in development of the sport in the region.
“For several years now, we have been expanding the Knight Riders brand globally. We were closely watching the potential for T20 cricket in the USA,” Shah Rukh said in a media statement. Incidentally he is the principal owner of the Knight Riders group.
“We are convinced that MLC has all the pieces in place to execute on its plans. We look forward to making our partnership an enormous success in the coming years,” added the Bollywood superstar.
The upcoming T20 tournament on the lines of hugely successful IPL will aim to capture the imagination of the significant South Asian diaspora. It includes Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis.
Incidentally, US citizen of Pakistani origin, pacer Ali Khan was part of this year’s CPL champion Trinbago Knight Riders. He was also roped in as the first US player in the IPL before injury cut short his journey.
Apart from Shah Rukh, actress Juhi Chawla and her businessman husband Jay Mehta are also the co-owners in the Knight Riders Group.
“We are delighted to partner with the Knight Riders Group in this historic partnership,” Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan of American Cricket Enterprises and Major League Cricket said.
“By adding the Knight Riders Group to our family of world-class and diverse investors, this investment into the future of Major League Cricket is a huge validation of our vision for the new league,” they further added.