Jaffna Stallions, the winners of the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) have a new owner as Sri Lanka-born British entrepreneur, Allirajah Subaskaran , enters the second season of the premier T20 tournament of the Island Nation by acquiring the Jaffna-based franchise in the tournament.
Speaking about the new venture, Subaskaran said, “I have been observing the gradual growth of the LPL. It has turned out to be a spectacular sporting event, and I believe that the LPL can become a major event in the cricketing calendar. Many Sri Lankans globally look forward to this tournament, with better funding and drafting of bigger names, the league is bound to be a global phenomenon, and I don’t want to be left out of the party.”
Subaskaran is the founder and chairman of Lyca Group of companies in the UK, and the group has been diversifying its businesses in the South Asian region with a strong presence in India and Sri Lanka, making their venture into the LPL, a well-calculated move. When asked why he chose the Jaffna team, Subaskaran said: “Well, it makes sense to put your money on the team that won last year, and, I do have some sentimental attachments to the North of the Island.”
Welcoming the new owner, Anil Mohan, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to welcome on board Lyca Group chairman Subaskaran as the owner of the Jaffna franchise. I am sure that his love and passion for the game will enable him to connect with the team and engage the fans and all its stakeholders going forward.”
Jawad Ghulam Rasool, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL, said, “We at the IPG group recognize that it takes many individuals whether in management, players or franchise owners to put together a league that we can be proud of, a league like LPL. We would like to welcome Jaffna franchise owner Subaskaran, chairman of the LYCA Group to the LPL community and look forward to growing stronger together.”
With the LPL Player’s Draft scheduled for next month, the new owner of the Jaffna franchise expects to rope in some big international and local stars. He believes that like last year, he will have a competitive team this year too.
The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) was played in a bio-secure bubble at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota from November 26 till December 16, 2020. Jaffna Stallions tops the valuation chart with $3.98m, followed by Galle Gladiators ($3.82m), Dambulla Vikings (Now Dambulla Giants) ($3.54m) Colombo Kings ($3.44m) and Kandy Tuskers ($3.19m).
Source : Times of India
