Top IPL Franchises In 'Final' Race For Hundred Franchise Teams, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders Out Of Contention

The IPL Trophy on display in Abu Dhabi during the 2020 season. | Image: BCCI

The teams that have made it to the final shortlist of the Hundred along with Delhi Capitals' co-owners GMR Group -- including a consortium of global tech giants made up of Google, Microsoft, and Adobe executives -- are Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, as reported.

As per the report by ESPNcricinfo, two teams from London, Oval Invincibles and London Spirit, have emerged as very attractive properties, with five-time IPL champions MI and the tech consortium gunning for the Invincibles.

However, Lancer Capital, owned by Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer, has shown a particular interest in both the London teams.

The owner of the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, Sanjeev Goenka of the RPSG Group, has shown interest in London Spirit and Manchester Originals.

The Manchester Originals team has also drawn a lot of interest.

"All the investors shortlisted will have to make one final financial bid which will be binding and the highest bid will determine the winner of the eight franchises," the report said.

Lancashire, the host county, has been willing to allow potential franchise owners to run the cricketing operations – a major factor for many potential investors, especially the IPL teams, as well.

Some of the big names that are part of the tech consortium that is trying to buy the franchises include Sundar Pichai (Google CEO), Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO), Shantanu Narayen (Adobe CEO) and Egon Durban (Silver Lake Management CEO).

Orlando Magic owner Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, has been shortlisted to own both the Oval Invincibles and London Spirit.

The Sun Group, the owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad are 'understood to be on the shortlist' for three of the teams: Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Northern Superchargers (Leeds) and Welsh Fire (Cardiff).

According to the report, CVC Capital Partners, the owners of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, have put in a bid for Birmingham Phoenix.

Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, and Punjab Kings, who were once interested in expanding abroad, are not on the shortlist at the moment, it said.

"It could not be confirmed whether the Super Kings and Knight Riders, the two franchises with teams in overseas T20 leagues beyond India, have been shortlisted or not," the report said. It also reported that Sanjay Govil, an American businessman who owns Washington Freedom, has "interest" in three teams, excluding the ones in London. The ECB is yet to reveal the winners, and the new owners will only take over in 2026.

Discussion:

This week, the ECB is set to reveal the timetable for the 2025 Hundred season, with the process of bidding not being complete yet. Four teams from the Indian Premier League (IPL)—Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, and Delhi Capitals' co-owners GMR Group—along with a group of tech executives from the likes of Google, Microsoft, and Adobe have made the cut for the final list of suitors, according to a report. The report on ESPNcricinfo stated that two teams from London—Oval Invincibles and London Spirit—have attracted five teams, including five-time IPL champion MI and the tech consortium vying for the Invincibles. Lancer Capital, the company bankrolled by Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer, has shown interest in both the London teams, according to the report. Sanjeev Goenka, owner of the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, has shown interest in London Spirit and Manchester Originals, respectively. Both the Manchester Originals team has also attracted a lot of interest. "All the investors shortlisted will have to make one final financial bid, which will be binding, and the highest bid will determine the winner for each of the eight franchises," the report said. The Lancashire host county has allowed potential franchise owners to run the cricketing operations, which is a big factor for several investors, especially the IPL teams, as reported. Some of the tech consortium's backers include Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, and Silver Lake Management CEO Egon Durban. Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, who leads a consortium that has been shortlisted for both the Oval Invincibles and London Spirit, has his bid accepted. The Sun Group, the owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad, are "understood to be on the shortlist" for three of the teams: Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Northern Superchargers (Leeds) and Welsh Fire (Cardiff), as per a report. According to the report, CVC Capital Partners, the owners of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, have put in a bid for Birmingham Phoenix. Some IPL franchises that had at one time expressed interest—CSK, KKR, RR, and PBKS—are not on the shortlist now, it said. It also could not be confirmed that the Super Kings and Knight Riders, the two teams with teams in overseas T20 leagues beyond India, have been shortlisted, the report said. It reported that Sanjay Govil, an American businessman who owns Washington Freedom, has "interested" in three franchises outside of London. The process of bidding is still ongoing, and the ECB is set to reveal the schedule for the 2025 Hundred season this week, and the new owners will take over in 2026.