Eight years ago, Manjot Kalra was the boy lighting up the Under-19 World Cup final with a match-winning century. Today, he is entering cricket from a completely different door.
The former India U19 star has become a part-owner of Lanka Premier League franchise Jaffna Kings ahead of the tournament’s sixth season. Kalra, along with entrepreneur Mayank Goel through their company Sports Commune, will now oversee the franchise’s operations and strategy.
Kalra was one of the biggest names from India’s victorious 2018 Under-19 World Cup campaign. His unbeaten hundred against Australia in the final helped India win a record fourth title and briefly marked him out as one of the country’s next batting stars.
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Instead of pursuing a long domestic career, Kalra’s path took a turn that no cricketers desires for. Sports Commune, the company he co-founded, now plans to focus heavily on youth engagement, sports content, grassroots cricket and fan interaction across South Asia.
Kalra currently hosts a YouTube podcast called Second Innings with Manjot Kalra, where he interviews cricketers and athletes. His business partner Mayank Goel has also been involved in sports development, youth tournaments and corporate cricket initiatives.
Speaking after the acquisition, Kalra said: “Jaffna Kings is a franchise with a strong cricketing identity and a passionate fan base. For us, this is an opportunity to bring together our experience in cricket, youth engagement, sports content and community building to support the next phase of the team’s journey.”
LPL director Samantha Dodanwela also welcomed the new ownership group and said Sri Lanka Cricket was pleased to see “committed owners” entering the league.
Age-fraud controversy derailed Kalra’s cricket career
Kalra’s playing career never really took off after the 2018 World Cup triumph. Soon after making his Delhi debut in 2019, he became embroiled in an age-fraud controversy.
The Delhi Police investigated allegations that incorrect information regarding his birth year had been submitted during his junior cricket days. According to the chargesheet filed later, Kalra was allegedly one year older than the age officially declared. This raised questions about his eligibility for the Under-19 World Cup itself.
The controversy stalled his cricket career almost entirely. Kalra ended up playing only three professional matches, with his last appearance coming in 2021.
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