Royals Sports Group (EM Sporting Holdings Ltd), the owners of the Rajasthan Royals IPL franchise, has announced that they have acquired a majority stake in the Barbados Tridents, Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise.
The two-time CPL champions will be rebranded as the Barbados Royals, a partner franchise of the Rajasthan Royals, as the Royals Sports Group seeks to expand its global presence.
Royals Sports Group Chairperson, and the Lead Owner of Rajasthan Royals, Manoj Badale, commented “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.”
Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, whose role now includes the Barbados Royals, added: “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.”
Manish Patel, principal of the Barbados Tridents franchise, added, “We are extremely excited about the partnership with Manoj and the Rajasthan Royals family, which will further advance cricket in Barbados and the region.”
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.”
Earlier in June, Rajasthan Royals had announced a groundbreaking collaboration with RedBird Capital Partners, the leading sports-focused investor in the United States. The acquisition of Barbados Tridents is a testament of the continued vision of the team to expand the Royals brand globally.
The Barbados Royals, led by the experienced Jason Holder, are scheduled to start the forthcoming Caribbean Premier League campaign on 26th August 2021 against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. The final of this season’s Caribbean Premier League will take place on 15th September 2021.