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Tag: Emirates Cricket Board

  • UAE’s International League T20 to be held in Jan-Feb 2023

    UAE’s International League T20 to be held in Jan-Feb 2023

    Mumbai: Emirates Cricket Board has confirmed that the inaugural ILT20 League will be held between 6 January to 12 February 2023. The new league will be called ‘International League T20 (ILT20)’.

    Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Emirates Cricket Board chairman Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan said, “Emirates Cricket Board is delighted to welcome Reliance Industries, Kolkata Knight Riders, Capri Global, GMR, Lancer Capital, Adani Sportsline, broadcaster ZEE and all other stakeholders to the newly established T20 League of UAE. Such illustrious, experienced names and entities as partners bode well for the UAE T20 League. Through the commitment of these partners, they have demonstrated confidence in the Emirates Cricket Board as we take the game into the future.”

    “As we begin this long journey, I am confident that together we will achieve new heights and in the process provide entertainment and excitement to the millions of fans around the globe who are waiting for the first ball of the UAE T20 League to be bowled. On behalf of the ECB let me assure everyone that whilst being entertained on the field with cricket, you will also be entertained by our traditional UAE hospitality off the field,” he added.

    The six-team franchise-style league will be played over a 34-match schedule at world-renowned, world-class venues in UAE.  

    The tournament will also provide a valuable platform for Emirates Cricket to take developing their local talent to a higher level, where UAE-based players currently integrated into the board’s program, as well as those identified by the high-performance coaching and selection committee teams, will be allowed to train and play alongside some of the world’s best minds of today’s game.

    ILT20 chairman Khalid Al Zarooni said, “Emirates Cricket, and the UAE, has a proven history of identifying and embracing initiatives that underpin the success of the game. It is vitally important that through this tournament UAE-based players continue to flourish which is one of the objectives of this league.”

    He further added, “The ILT20 wishes to thank His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Chairman of ECB for his unstinting support to UAE cricket which, under his guidance, has been growing from strength to strength. We look forward to introducing to the world a T20 event that will provide unmatched competition and entertainment to the ardent followers of this game.”

    Selection Committee – Emirates Cricket Board chairman Dr Tayeb Kamali said, “The annual ILT20 event presents an excellent exposure for our players given the highly intense and competitive nature of the league. Each of the six teams in the 34-match tournament provides a wonderful opportunity for our young cricketers to play competitive cricket with world-class players.”

    “Further, such a unique international league would play a big role in attracting and nurturing a larger pool of players who will go on to represent the UAE in the years to come. We look forward to the inaugural event and our players taking full advantage of the opportunity,” he said.

  • Adani Group bats in UAE’s T20 League

    Adani Group bats in UAE’s T20 League

    Mumbai: 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.

    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.

    “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,” said UAE’s T20 League chairman Khalid Al Zarooni. “The trust shown by the Adani Group augurs well for the League and we look forward to benefitting from their business acumen and working together to make our league successful.”

    “We are excited to be part of the UAE T20 league,” said Pranav Adani. “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.”

    “We are extremely pleased to have one of Asia’s leading corporates as our franchise team owner. This is a resounding thumbs up to the unique opportunity that the UAE T20 league offers to experienced and established business owners,” said Emirates Cricket Board general secretary Mubashshir Usmani. “We are confident that this association will be mutually beneficial for both the Adani Group and the League. UAE’s T20 League will attract some of the biggest names in world cricket while also giving a platform and international exposure to local and upcoming players”.

    Adani Sportsline is promoted by the Adani Group whose diverse businesses include port management, electric power generation and transmission, renewable energy, mining, airport operations, natural gas, food processing and infrastructure. The group has annual revenues of over $20 billion with operations at 70 locations in 50 countries and a market cap of over $222 billion.

  • Capri Global acquires franchise in UAE’s T20 League

    Capri Global acquires franchise in UAE’s T20 League

    Mumbai: Capri Global Group on Wednesday announced that it has acquired a franchise in UAE’s T20 league.

    Promoted by first-generation entrepreneur Rajesh Sharma, Capri Global has varied interests across sectors including key ventures such as a non-banking financial company, stressed assets fund and sports venture. Its subsidiary Capri Global Capital is a non-deposit-taking systemically important non-banking financial company with a $ one billion+ market cap, said the statement.

    Capri Global Capital managing director Rajesh Sharma said the foray into sports franchising allows the company to leverage on the passion that the Indian audience has for cricket. “We see great synergy coming through this alliance, including a host of exciting moments that are set to elevate the cricketing experience for our Indian audience at the global platform. We believe that the land of opportunity through its sports IP has created an image that accurately depicts what represents the UAE,” he added.

    “To have a partner who is acknowledged as one of India’s leading investment bankers, buying into the UAE’s T20 vision and investing into sports properties with a long-term investment perspective is a testament to the strength of UAE’s T20 League’s Business Model and its value proposition to its stakeholders and an ode to the UAE as the destination of choice for global sports events,” commented Emirates Cricket Board vice chairman and UAE T20 League chairman Khalid Al Zarooni.

    “We are extremely pleased that a legendary investment professional like Rajesh Sharma has chosen to partner with the UAE’s T20 League. This is a resounding thumbs up to the unique opportunity that UAE’s T20 league offers,” added Emirates Cricket Board general secretary Mubashshir Usmani.

  • Zeel acquires media rights for Emirates Cricket Board’s UAE T20 League

    Zeel acquires media rights for Emirates Cricket Board’s UAE T20 League

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) has signed a 10-year media rights deal with Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for their upcoming UAE T20 League. The broadcaster makes its return into sports broadcasting after its non-compete agreement with Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India expired.

    The deal is estimated to be worth $100-120 million and the broadcaster will air the tournament on TV and OTT platforms, according to a report by ET.

    Zeel had sold its sports broadcasting business under the brand Ten Sports to Sony in 2017 and signed a five-year non-compete. Zeel and SPN are in the process of finalising a merger that may result in the creation of the largest M&E entity in the country with an estimated $ two billion in revenues.

    At the APOS India summit, Zeel managing director and chief executive officer Punit Goenka had said, “A lot has changed since we exited the sports business. Now, it is coming full circle is the way I’d like to call it. I believe the opportunity is great because the digital landscape has opened up a new opportunity for monetisation which did not exist five years ago. Sports will become an area of focus for the merged entity.”