Former India fast bowler and 2011 World Cup winner Zaheer Khan has acquired Lanka Premier League franchise Jaffna Kings, whose previous ownership was terminated after its co-owner became embroiled in a match-fixing investigation.
The team will now compete as Anchor Jaffna Kings. The acquisition was made through Anchor Sports AB, the Stockholm-based sports investment group co-owned by Zaheer and businessman Nagendra Siddoutam.
The acquisition comes less than two weeks after the franchise's previous ownership was terminated. Sports Commune, co-owned by former India Under-19 World Cup winner and the star of the 2018 final, Manjot Kalra and entrepreneur Mayank Goel, had taken over Jaffna Kings only in May before losing control of the franchise on July 23.
Kalra was arrested on July 16 over allegations of attempting to bribe an LPL player, with Sri Lankan authorities accusing him of offering LKR 9.5 million to influence a match. He remains in judicial custody, while Goel's whereabouts are unknown. Following the termination of Sports Commune's ownership, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and tournament rights holders Innovative Production Group (IPG) assumed temporary operational control of the franchise and arranged emergency funding to ensure the team could continue competing in the ongoing tournament.
The acquisition also expands Anchor Sports AB's growing international sports portfolio, which already includes the Antwerp Anchors in the European T20 Premier League and the Vancouver Anchors men's and women's teams in Canada's Super60 competition.
Before Sports Commune's brief tenure, Jaffna Kings were owned by the Lyca Group between 2021 and 2025, while the inaugural edition of the LPL saw the franchise operated by a consortium led by Arnold Anandan and Rahul Sood. According to IPG, each previous ownership change came after financial obligations were not fulfilled.
Despite the uncertainty off the field, Jaffna Kings have continued to dominate the competition. The four-time champions finished at the top of the points table during the 2026 league stage to qualify for the playoffs and remain the most successful franchise in LPL history, having won four of the five completed editions.
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