Millionaire Indian businessman, Dr Vijay Mallya, has confirmed his purchase of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise Barbados Tridents, ending weeks of speculation about the proposed sale.

 The 60-year-old said he had met with Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart last week and secured government’s support in the venture, and had subsequently moved ahead with the acquisition.

“I’ve acquired the team. It is a joint venture if not exactly in the classical sense of the term. I will, of course, take a lead role and that is because I understand the Twenty20 competition,” he told the Mumbai Mirror newspaper on Saturday.