Cricket South Africa have confirmed the franchise owners for the country’s new T20 league.
The league will launch across six cities early next year. All six franchises have been bought by entities who also own Indian Premier League teams.
CSA T20 league franchise owners
| Venue, city | Franchise owner |
|---|---|
| Newlands, Cape Town | Reliance Industries Limited – Mumbai Indians owners |
| Kingsmead, Durban | RPSG Sports Private Limited – Lucknow Super Giants owners |
| St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth | Sun TV Network Limited – Sunrisers Hyderabad owners |
| Wanderers, Johannesburg | Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited – Chennai Super Kings owners |
| Boland Park, Paarl | Royals Sports Group – Rajasthan Royals owners |
| SuperSport Park, Pretoria | JSW Sports – Delhi Capitals co-owners |
“The open bid process, managed by Deloitte Corporate Finance, attracted over 29 entities who expressed interest in owning a franchise worldwide,” read a statement from Cricket South Africa.
“Over 10 venues were made available for interested bidders to own a franchise and all 10 of them received expressions of interest.”
What league commissioner Graeme Smith said
“We are thrilled to welcome our new franchise owners to the South African League taking place in January and February 2023,” said Smith, who was appointed earlier this week.
“This is truly an exciting time for South African cricket; the overwhelming interest shows that the country remains valued in the global cricketing eco-system.
“A robust bidding process was followed to select the final six owners. The decision was informed by a scorecard based on various criteria to ensure the utmost professionalism, independence, and objectivity to the process.
“The strong sports background of the respective owners and the global brands they manage ensures that South African cricket and the broader industry will benefit from their expertise and resources, as they bring stability and experience to the league.”
“We have already contracted a number of leading international players who will be announced shortly. Combined with our strong South African player base, fans and stakeholders can be assured that the new league will showcase exciting talent and skill.”