Delhi Capitals’ co-owner GMR Group acquires 49% stake in The Hundred team Southern Brave

GMR Group, co-owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals, has successfully secured a stake in Southern Brave in The Hundred. With GMR Group’s deal, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) process of selling equity in The Hundred has reportedly been completed.

As expected, GMR Group has acquired the 49% stake offered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in Southern Brave. With Hampshire already holding a 51% share granted by the ECB, this deal will give them full control of the Southern Brave franchise once all formalities are completed.

GMR Group secures stake in Southern Brave

The co-owner of the Delhi Capitals already owned a majority stake in the Hampshire County Cricket Club that they acquired from former owner Rod Bransgrove last year. This deal marked the fourth team acquired by IPL owners in The Hundred.

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The Delhi Capitals’ co-owner GMR Group joined Sun Group (Northern Superchargers), RPSG Group (Manchester Originals), and Reliance (Oval Invincibles) to acquire the stakes in The Hundred. Notably, Sun Group owns Sunrisers Hyderabad, RPSG Group has Lucknow Super Giants, and Reliance Ltd. is the owner of the Mumbai Indians franchise in the IPL.

The ECB also attracted international investors with Knighthead Capital (Birmingham Phoenix), Sanjay Govil (Welsh Fire), a Silicon Valley consortium (London Spirit), and Cain International (Trent Rockets) joining the IPL owners to have stakes in the 100-ball tournament.

Cain International buys Trent Rockets’ stake in The Hundred

Meanwhile, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has purchased a 49% stake in The Hundred franchise, Trent Rockets. The investment, valued at just under £40 million, will be made through Cain International, a company co-founded by Boehly and British businessman Jonathan Goldstein.

This deal brings the total value of the Trent Rockets franchise to £79 million. Nottinghamshire will retain majority control with 51% ownership and continue to host the team at the iconic Trent Bridge ground. Cain International had also shown interest in the London Spirit franchise, which was ultimately acquired by a Silicon Valley group with a £145 million investment for a 49% stake.

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On the other hand, Reliance Industries Limited bought a 49% stake in the Oval Invincibles for £60m, with Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) retaining a majority stake of 51% through its subsidiary RISE Worldwide. They also own teams in the SA20 of South Africa and ILT20 of UAE.

The Hundred’s total valuation surpasses £900 Million

Notably, the total valuation of the eight franchises in The Hundred is now over £900 million. The GMR Group was reportedly looking to collaborate with other investors to join their investment in the Southern Brave franchise in the 100-ball tournament.

Earlier, Richard Thompson, the ECB chairman, said that he did not want The Hundred to become “an IPL takeover,” so he should now be happy with how things unfolded in the bid process. The ECB now has four investors outside the IPL world—Birmingham Phoenix (Knighthead Capital), Welsh Fire (tech entrepreneur Sanjay Govil), London Spirit (Silicon Valley consortium), and Trent Rockets (Cain)—all of whom attracted investment from elsewhere.