Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive Venky Mysore has revealed that IPL team owners want to sign the sport's biggest stars to yearly contracts as they invest in more franchises across the world.
The Knight Riders Group also owns three other T20 franchises in the Caribbean Premier League, the UAE-based International League T20 (ILT20) and America's Major League Cricket. They are not the only IPL owners investing in other leagues, with the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals owners also purchasing franchises in the ILT20.
South Africa's new T20 league, meanwhile, has seen all six franchises bought by the owners of IPL teams. And Mysore says the Knight Riders would be keen to sign players to 12-month deals to play for them across all four leagues.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: "In an ideal world, sure - because that gives us the opportunity to make our vision and our strategy even stronger. If we were able to have X number of contracted players, and were able to use them all in different leagues, I think that would be nirvana.
"Hopefully, someday it will happen. I wouldn't be surprised if it did. If it happened that way, at some point in the future, that'd be great.
"What we want to create is a common platform and a system and a culture that allows us to participate around the year - enhancing our brand, building our fan base, and providing opportunities to cricketers around the world. And in the process, you build hopefully a successful business around it."
Mysore's comments come after Australia legend Adam Gilchrist voiced his concerns about the IPL's growing "global dominance", warning that it is starting to get "dangerous".
Speaking on SEN Radio about reports that David Warner is set to snub Australia's Big Bash in order to play in the ILT20, Gilchrist said: "It's all part of this global dominance that these IPL franchises are starting to create given they own a number of teams in the Caribbean Premier League.
"They own all six teams I believe in the new South African tournament that's coming up, which will be locking horns for commercial space and airtime with the Big Bash. It's getting a little bit dangerous the grip that it's having to monopolise that ownership and the ownership of the players and their talents and where they can and can't play."
