Anchor Sports AB, a Stockholm-based sports ownership group co-owned by former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan and businessman Nagendra Siddoutam, has acquired the Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise Jaffna Kings. The team will now be rebranded as Anchor Jaffna Kings.
This acquisition brings the Jaffna team back under structured management after its previous ownership was terminated on July 23. The franchise had been under the emergency regulatory control of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the LPL rights holders Innovation Production Group.
The move integrates Jaffna into Anchor Sports AB's expanding global multi-club sports network. The group's existing portfolio includes the Antwerp Anchors in the European T20 Premier League and the Vancouver Anchors men's and women's teams in Canada's Super60 league.
The acquisition follows less than two weeks after the termination of Jaffna's previous ownership, Sports Commune, which was co-owned by former India Under-19 cricketer Manjot Kalra and entrepreneur Mayank Goel. Kalra was arrested on July 16 on match-fixing charges and is in remand custody, while Goel's whereabouts are unknown. Sports Commune took ownership in May, succeeding the Lyca Group, which owned the franchise from 2021-2025. In the inaugural LPL season, Jaffna was owned by a consortium led by Arnold Anandan and Rahul Sood.
Previous ownership terms for the Jaffna franchise ended due to failures in meeting financial obligations. Following Kalra's arrest, SLC and IPG had to intervene with emergency funds and assume direct operational control to ensure the team's participation in the ongoing season.
"To be part of Sri Lankan cricket as an owner is something I'm genuinely thrilled about," said Zaheer Khan. Nagendra Siddoutam added in a release, "This is a significant step for us. Sri Lanka has a rich cricketing heritage, and the LPL has established itself as a well-run, highly competitive league in a short span of time. The Anchor Jaffna Kings will be a natural extension of what we're building globally – franchises that are rooted in their local communities while being part of a connected, international Anchor network. We're looking forward to investing in the Anchor Jaffna Kings and contributing to the league's continued growth."
