The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is set to begin the process of selling teams from The Hundred on Thursday, January 30, as per Cricbuzz. While it was initially expected that several Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners would be interested in acquiring stakes, only four remain in contention.
The sale has generated significant interest, with the first team up for grabs being Oval Invincibles, a London-based franchise currently run by Surrey County Cricket Club. Delhi Capitals have partnered with Southern Brave, while Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Mumbai Indians are competing for the remaining seven teams.
Reports indicate that Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders were initially interested but have now withdrawn from the bidding process. The ECB is expected to conduct a phased sale, either through sealed bids or an e-auction.
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The ECB has outlined that prospective buyers can remain in contention even if they fail to secure a team in the initial rounds. However, the board is offering only a 49% stake in each team, with full ownership contingent upon county cricket authorities divesting their 51% share.
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The eight teams currently competing in The Hundred are Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets, and Welsh Fire. The ECB plans to finalize the sale of Birmingham Phoenix after the Oval Invincibles transaction is complete.
GMR Group, which owns Hampshire County Cricket Club, is likely to take control of Southern Brave unless a different investor steps in to acquire the full stake. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad are reportedly strong contenders to purchase Northern Superchargers from Yorkshire.
