The house owners of Indian Premier League facet Kolkata Knight Riders could be inquisitive about shopping for a stake in a brand new Hundred franchise if the competitors expands.
Knight Riders Group (KRG) had been amongst these concerned within the bidding when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) auctioned off stakes in the eight franchises final 12 months.
KRG had been within the operating for Trent Rockets, who finally bought a 49% stake to Cain Worldwide – the funding agency based by Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly and British businessman Jonathan Goldstein – for slightly below £40m.
BBC Sport understands senior KRG officers determined to not progress with their curiosity as a result of they felt the franchise was barely overvalued.
Nonetheless, they’d contemplate returning to the desk once more if The Hundred expands from eight franchises to 10.
KRG’s curiosity would probably give the ECB one other main bidder with IPL hyperlinks when it seems so as to add new franchises.
Durham and a workforce within the south west, probably based mostly in Bristol or Taunton, have beforehand been touted as attainable bases for 2 new franchises.
The Hundred is unlikely to extend the variety of groups earlier than the top of the present media rights cycle, which runs till the top of 2028.
Nonetheless, including two groups and extra fixtures may improve the worth of the following broadcast deal, with enlargement attainable from 2029.
Sunrisers Leeds, Manchester Tremendous Giants, MI London and Southern Courageous are all owned, or part-owned, by teams with IPL hyperlinks.
KRG personal franchises in India, the Caribbean, the UAE and america, giving them one of the crucial in depth portfolios in world franchise cricket.
