Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore revealed why the Knight Riders are not exploring the England and South African cricket markets through the Hundred and the SA20 league.
Currently, along with the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Knight Riders also have teams in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and International League T20 (ILT20). But they may also have teams in SA20 and Hundred.
KKR CEO Venky Mysore explains why they don’t have teams in SA20 and The Hundred
KKR CEO Venky Mysore said that they are keen to invest in the other two leagues as well. But for some reason, they keep their original plans on hold. Mysore pointed out that both the occasions related to The Hundred and SA20 have issues related to finance. Since they needed to run the business profitably, they decided not to participate in the franchise leagues in England and South Africa.
“In England, the issue was again valuation. It became a valuation exercise, and at those numbers, it didn’t make financial sense for us. A spreadsheet is only as good as what you make. We don’t want to borrow, we don’t want to raise money outside. You tell me how much you want I’ll put the money in. I want to sleep well at night,” Venky Mysore explained on why the Knight Riders are not part of The Hundred.
Covid-19 pandemic affects original plans
Unlike the Hundred case, the Purple Brigade were very close to joining South Africa’s SA20 league. Due to the COVID-19 situation, when most operations came to a halt, they eventually had to cancel their previous plans.
“In South Africa, the Knight Riders had actually signed up to participate in the previous incarnation of the country’s T20 franchise league, which was put on hold before COVID. When it was revived, the fit was no longer there. Apart from not meeting the financial requirements of the Knight Riders, there was also the practical challenge of a schedule clash with the ILT20,” Mysore said on not having a team in the SA20.
Now the focus is on IPL 2026 season
For now, the entire focus of the franchise is on the upcoming Indian Premier League season, i.e. IPL 2026. The last season did not bring any sweet memories for the team as they failed to qualify for the playoffs. In IPL 2025, KKR were the defending champions after winning the IPL 2024 title. The three-time IPL champions have undertaken some repair work ahead of the 2026 campaign.
On paper, KKR look strong enough to give a tough challenge to the opponents in the IPL 2026 season. Still, some doubts and concerns remain. Ahead of the season, the franchise is facing several injury concerns. Harshit Rana is reportedly out of the entire season. Another fast bowler Mathisha Pathirana is still not back to full fitness.
Ajinkya Rahane is certain to remain the captain of the team. Some experts believe that Rinku Singh could be a better option instead of relying on Rahane, under whose leadership the team ended its journey at 8th place in 2025.th In a tournament of 10 teams.
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