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Ambitious Sh255m cricket league promises to bring stars to Kenya
Kenya Chairman Manoj Patel, AOS Sport Tournament Chairman Chandra Prakash Panwar and Cricket Kenya Board Member Kennedy Obuya during the signing of the Cricket Kenya T20 League (CKT20) contractual agreement in Nairobi on Sunday April 27, 2025.
What you need to know:
- While urging Kenyans to be ready for the expected thrilling contest, Obuya explained that the league will take the format of the famed India Premier League T20 (IPLT20) to make it exciting.
- “It is the first time that a tournament of such magnitude is going to be held in Kenya and so cricket lovers should brace for a riveting display on and off the pitch,” he said.
Cricket Kenya (CK) plans a high profile Twenty20 League that could bring some of the world’s finest cricketers to Nairobi.
Cricket Kenya chairman Manoj Patel and former Kenyan cricketer Kennedy Obuya, who is a board member at the federation, on Tuesday led CK in signing a five-year deal worth Sh255 million with Dubai-based sports promotion company AOS Sport Tournament.
AOS Sport Tournament also has presence in India. The tournament will be held in Nairobi in September, and will see some of the world’s finest cricketers turn out for various franchises.
Local and Test players from around the globe will play for six franchises in the tournament.
Speaking during the signing of the contract in Nairobi, Cricket Kenya board member Obuya said: “This is huge. It will be exciting and thrilling to see some of the best players playing in Nairobi. It will turn around Kenya’s game for the better.”
“Kenyans should expect an exciting tournament because this league is going to change the game, including revenue from the sport,” Obuya stated.
As per the contract, AOS will pump into the league USD 300,000 (Sh38 million) in the opening 2025 season. The funding will increased by USD50,000 each year for the next five years.
This translates to Sh45 million in 2026, Sh51 million in 2027, Sh57 million in 2028, and Sh64 million in 2029, totaling to approximately Sh255 million in the five years at the current exchange rate.
“This strategic collaboration is poised to catapult Kenyan cricket to unprecedented heights. The CKT20 League promises to unlock vast potential for Kenyan cricketers, as well as talented players from the African associate member nations,” AOS Sport Tournament’s chairman, Chandra Prakash Panwar, said in Nairobi.
The league, dubbed ‘CKT20 League’, will be an intense 25-day showdown to be contested by six franchises. Each franchise will import more than five world class Test players from across the globe.
“Only four of the foreign players in a team will be permitted to play at any given fixture, the rest of the fielded squad will be local,” Obuya,, who is also a CK board member, said.
While urging Kenyans to be ready for the expected thrilling contest, Obuya explained that the league will take the format of the famed India Premier League T20 (IPLT20) to make it exciting.
“It is the first time that a tournament of such magnitude is going to be held in Kenya and so cricket lovers should brace for a riveting display on and off the pitch,” he said.
“This league is going to improve our game, it is going to give our players unmatched exposure, and it is going to take Kenya back to the global limelight. It also promises to improve CK’s revenues as well as welfare of the participating players.’”
Obuya said the league will champion the development of women’s cricket across the country by involving female cricketers in different capacities.
