Kolkata Knight Riders may not have made the semi-finals of the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) season, but the market grapevine is abuzz that they are, perhaps, the only franchise to make a substantial profit.

However, despite finishing sixth in the eight-team Twenty20 tournament, market sources insist that his team had broken even before the half-way stage, thanks to vigorous merchandising.

The team management has finalized plans to invest the profits in a manner that would enhance the image of the Knight Riders.

One of the projects that can give them greater visibility is their proposed world-class academy. "We had a roller-coaster ride in the first season, but we see a bright future for us and for that we have to tap talented players and nurture them," team director Joy Bhattacharya told IANS.