UAE board announces the involvement of Adani Group in their new T20 tournament

It was more or less confirmed and now it’s sealed that the Adani Group will own and operate a team in UAE’s very own T20 tournament. Even though dates are not finalised, it is expected that the tournament will start around January or February 2023. Five of the teams are now confirmed and everyone is now waiting for the sixth team which is likely to be owned by Shahrukh Khan.

“Adani Sportsline, a part of the diversified Adani Group, has made a landmark foray into franchise cricket by acquiring the rights to own and operate a franchise in UAE's flagship T20 league”, said UAE board in a statement.

The Glazers family who owns Manchester United has already invested in one of the teams while Reliance Foundations, Delhi franchise of Indian T20 League and Dubai-based Capri Global has done the same and the tournament is all set to announce the entry of King Khan. The tournament has also signed a deal with Zee Group to broadcast all the matches of the tournament.

Even though whether Indian players will take a part or not is up in the air but the board seems confident. The official statement reads, “Licensed by Emirates Cricket Board, the UAE T20 League is an annual event that will feature six franchise teams competing in a 34-match event. Top players from all the cricket playing countries are expected to be in the line-up of different teams. The league will be providing a platform and exposure to upcoming young cricketers. This will be the first major move overseas by the Adani Sportsline that will connect and engage with global fans from across the cricketing nations”.

Khalid Al Zarooni, UAE's T20 League chairman, said; "It is a proud moment for us to announce the Adani Group's association with the UAE's T20 League as a Franchise team owner. This acquisition fits perfectly in the group of corporates who have already acquired franchise team rights in the League. The trust shown by the Adani Group augurs well for the League and we look forward to benefiting from their business acumen and working together to make our League successful."

Pranav Adani, who was tracking down the developments said, “The UAE is an amazing amalgamation of several cricket loving nations. It provides an excellent platform for enhancing the visibility of cricket as the sport goes increasingly global. Our presence here is also a great base for the Adani brand that is contributing significantly to the sports ecosystem in India through leagues such as boxing and kabaddi, and nurturing sporting talent at the grassroots level through the Garv Hai initiative”.