Rajasthan Royals acquire stake of Barbados Tridents in CPL 2021; 'opportunity to innovate'

In a major development ahead of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2021, IPL's Rajasthan Royals (RR) has acquired a majority stake in the Barbados Tridents. As per Rajasthan Royal's official website, the two-time CPL champions will be rebranded as the Barbados Royals, a partner franchise of the RR. Notably, it is not the first time an IPL franchise has acquired stakes in the CPL. Earlier Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had acquired Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel and renamed it as Trinbago Knight Riders. 

Rajasthan Royals' owner on Barbados Royals

As per RR's official website, Manoj Badale, Royals Sports Group Chairperson, and the Lead Owner of Rajasthan Royals said "We are delighted to have signed this deal with Manish Patel, to acquire a majority stake in the Barbados CPL franchise. We are extremely grateful to the Barbados government for their continued support, and we look forward to making a positive impact on both cricket and tourism for the country. We have ambitious plans for the Royals brand globally, and this is an important strategic step.”

RR's Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakarra on Barbados Royals

Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, whose role now includes the Barbados Royals said, "Barbados Royals will be an important part of the Royals’ cricket ecosystem. With a fantastic talent pool of local players, we have the opportunity to innovate and develop strategies that will benefit the Royals Group. We are also excited at the prospect of how we can promote growth in the game of cricket."

Minister of Tourism and International Transport for Barbados, Senator the Hon. Lisa Cummins celebrated the announcement stating “The Caribbean, and Barbados more specifically in this instance, have long been globally revered for their cricketing prowess, which continues to be one of the strongest pillars of our sports tourism offering."

"The expansion of our audience through this new partnership will enable us to showcase how we have married this beloved sport with the immersive experiences our destination has to offer, on a much wider scale. We look forward to leveraging the global fanbase Rajasthan Royals brings to the table to tap into new and emerging markets that align with our brand,” added Cummins.

The Barbados Royals, led by the experienced Jason Holder, are scheduled to start the forthcoming Caribbean Premier League campaign on 26 August 2021 against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. The final of this season’s Caribbean Premier League will take place on 15 September 2021.

(Image Credits: @BarbadosRoyals/Twitter)