ECB aims for IPL-like success as Indian groups invest in The Hundred

Business Standard

5 days ago

The investment of four IPL owners into The Hundred will enable the England and Wales Cricket Board-backed event to grow rapidly and learn immensely from the skills possessed by the top minds working for the world's biggest T20 league.
Out of the eight teams in the 100-ball competition, four will be partially owned by owners of Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals (only GMR group involved).
After a long delay, the ECB finalised the deals with the IPL and other investors on Wednesday. Reliance Group, which will own 49 percent of the London-based Oval franchise, and Trent Rockets are yet to close agreements with the ECB.
"It's brilliant. You look at what the IPL has done, forget cricket, in sport in general, the growth it's achieved in 18 short years. It's nothing short of phenomenal," said Vikram Banerji, Managing Director of The Hundred, in response to a PTI query on Thursday.
"So the growth and the learnings, both on the field and off the field, that they can bring into this tournament, with the balance of the other investors that we've got from America and wherever else, I'm really excited about that side of things, about the skill sets that are now coming into English cricket," he said.
The deal will take effect from 2026 season and the investors will take operation control of the franchise from October 1, 2025.
Asked about the reason for the delay in closing the agreement with the Reliance-backed Oval franchise and Trent Rockets, Banerji said: "Right at the start we offered all the investors the opportunity to sign and close immediately whenever the legals were all done and have some involvement in this year.
"On the whole, it's been run as it was, or close formally at the end of the season, early October, when they close formally, when they take operational control of the name of the brand. So those two chose that months ago.
"With Trent Rockets, it's documents were signed and all the rest of it fully there. With the Oval Invincibles, there's three things left on their venue hire stuff that they're working through. They're small things, it'll be a matter of weeks, and that'll get signed out." Banerji and the rest of the stakeholders will soon have a meeting with the new investors for the tournament operations from 2026 onwards. Barring The Hundred, all leagues including the IPL are being played in the T20 format.
Is there an inclination from the IPL owners to switch to the standard T20 format from the current 100-ball a side format? "I think you have to look at what works in this country. There have been some discussions around kind of it works elsewhere, but in this country, the format has provided us with some really interesting things, especially from a broadcast perspective in terms of the reach it's provided and that ability to create a new crowd.
"At the moment, it's the 100 format, and that will remain for now. But let's see where we get to in a month," said Banerji, who added the participation of active Indian players remains off the card despite the IPL investment into the competition.
Sitting alongside Banerji, ECB chief executive Richard Gould, was also asked about the participation of Pakistan players in The Hundred in light of Indian investment. No Pakistan player was picked in the 2025 draft for different reasons.
Gould asserted the ECB will take action if the owners are found to be discriminatory in player selection irrespective of his nationality.
"We would expect players of all nations to be selected for all teams. I haven't had the need to have any discussion at this point (with new investors)." So is the latest draft just a coincidence? "I don't, I don't know. But we have not had any discussions with the owners at this point. But, we've got very clear anti-discrimination policies within cricket in England. And if those are, if those are not adhered to, our cricket regulator will take action," said Gould.
Now that the deals are done, the ECB expects the change in name of at least three teams backed by IPL team owners including Reliance, RPSG and GMR.
The sale of stakes have catapulted the valuation of teams to over 975 million pounds with more than 500 million pounds set to be invested in English cricket.