IPL franchise KKR open to evaluate investing in ECB's 'The Hundred': Report

KKR CEO Venky Mysore did not entirely rule out the possibility of the IPL franchise "evaluating" investment opportunities in 'The Hundred'.

The owners of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) would be looking to invest in the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) new cricket tournament, The Hundred.

The Telegraph newspaper reported that the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned KKR are open to investing in the 100-ball a side competition, which has now been postponed to next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Here’s what KKR CEO Mysore said

KKR CEO Venky Mysore did not entirely rule out the possibility of the IPL franchise "evaluating" investment opportunities in 'The Hundred'.

However, Mysore was categorical that at this moment it's nothing more than speculation.

"I know this story is going around. All I said was 'if we are approached to consider investing in 'The Hundred', we will evaluate it'," news agency PTI quoted Mysore, after the report in the English daily.

KKR’s investment in foreign T20 leagues

Caribbean Premier League

Owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the two-time IPL champions had in 2015 acquired Caribbean Premier League side Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, who are now known as Trinbago Knight Riders, a winner of successive CPL titles in 2017 and 2018.

T20 league in South Africa

They also had acquired a third team, the Cape Town franchise in Cricket South Africa's Global T20 league which however did not see the light of the day and was cancelled in 2017.

England board bans cricketers from wearing smartwatches in field of play

England and Wales cricket board hoped the decision will ensure that the integrity of players are not in doubt.

The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday banned cricketers from wearing smartwatches on the field of play in all upcoming matches, tightening its anti-corruption regulations in the wake of live streaming in county cricket.

"But with the vast majority of fixtures now available to watch live worldwide thanks to the growth of live-streaming services in the county game, the regulations have been tightened, meaning that smartwatches are completely banned in televised games and are permitted in the players' and match officials' areas (dressing rooms, balconies, dugouts) only in non-televised games," a report in ESPNcricinfo said.

It was Lancashire spinner Matt Parkinson who brought to light the opportunity for information exchange when he had revealed that he came to know about his maiden England call-up via a notification on his teammate Steven Croft's smartwatch during the 2019 County Championship.

Now with the rise of live streaming of matches, the governing body has decided to tighten its regulations.

ECB hoped the decision will ensure that the integrity of players are not in doubt.

"We review the anti-corruption codes and PMOA minimum standards on a yearly basis so that they remain relevant to the current threats and risks to cricket," an ECB spokesperson said.