IPL owners and Tech Giants in final race for Hundred franchise bids

A diverse group of investors, including IPL franchises and global tech giants, have made it to the final shortlist of the Hundred, a report has revealed. Among those vying for ownership of the tournament’s franchises are four prominent IPL teams: Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, and the GMR Group (co-owner of Delhi Capitals). They are joined by a powerful consortium of tech industry leaders from companies like Google, Microsoft, and Adobe.  Big names to take part in bidding process

 

According to ESPNcricinfo, the London-based teams, Oval Invincibles and London Spirit, have attracted significant attention. The five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians are in competition with the tech consortium for ownership of the Invincibles. Lancer Capital, the firm led by Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer, has expressed strong interest in acquiring one of the two London-based franchises. 

 

RPSG Group, the owner of Lucknow Super Giants, has shown interest in both the London Spirit and Manchester Originals, further complicating the bidding process. In fact, the Manchester Originals have drawn substantial interest from a variety of investors.

 

The bidding process is set to conclude with each shortlisted investor making a final, binding financial bid, with the highest bid determining the new owner of each franchise. Lancashire County, the host county of the competition, is reportedly open to allowing new owners significant influence over cricketing operations, a factor that has made the league particularly attractive to IPL teams.

 

The tech consortium, led by prominent names such as Sundar Pichai (Google CEO), Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO), Shantanu Narayen (Adobe CEO), and Egon Durban (CEO of Silver Lake Management), has been shortlisted for the Oval Invincibles and London Spirit franchises. Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, leads the consortium, which has also shown interest in these two teams.

 

The Sun Group, owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad, are reportedly on the shortlist for three franchises: Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Northern Superchargers (Leeds), and Welsh Fire (Cardiff). CVC Capital Partners, owners of Gujarat Titans in the IPL, are competing for ownership of Birmingham Phoenix.

 

Several IPL franchises, including Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, and Punjab Kings, who initially expressed interest, are not on the shortlist. The report also mentions that US-based entrepreneur Sanjay Govil, who owns Washington Freedom, is keen on acquiring three franchises located outside of London.

 

The bidding process is still ongoing, and the ECB is expected to announce the schedule for the 2025 Hundred season shortly. New franchise owners will take control in 2026.