Colombo, May 17 (IANS): The New York Strikers, who finished as runners-up in their first season of the Abu Dhabi T10 last year, on Wednesday announced that they have acquired a franchise in the exciting Lanka Premier League, which will be called Colombo Strikers.

The franchise, owned by Sagar Khanna, has joined Kandy Falcons, Jaffna Kings, Galle Gladiators and Dambulla Aura in the five-team competition.

Sagar Khanna, who owns the Skky Group - a leader in various sectors such as hospitality, retail stores and real estate - made his first foray into cricket by co-founding the New York-based cricket franchise Skky Strikers. Later, he went on to become the sole owner of the franchise. The Skky Strikers witnessed fantastic results in several tournaments in the United States of America before the franchise made its way to Abu Dhabi and Sri Lanka.

Speaking about expanding the franchise's operations in Sri Lanka, Khanna said, "We have formed a strong connection with our fans in the US and Abu Dhabi and we cannot wait to do the same with the cricket-crazy people of Colombo. The cricket culture in the city and our brand of cricket will certainly make for a very exciting combination. We are eager to bring the indomitable spirit of the Strikers to the cricket fans in Colombo."

The Colombo Strikers will be in action in the fourth edition of the Lanka Premier League. The tournament is slated to be held in July-August 2023.