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England Cricket Board Rejects IPL Coup Of The Hundred Amid Global Interest

Akshita Patel

ECB takes strong stand against IPL franchises [Source: @thehundred/X.com]ECB takes strong stand against IPL franchises [Source: @thehundred/X.com]

The England Cricket Board (ECB) dismissed concerns about an "IPL takeover" of the Hundred as it received massive interest from the IPL franchises for acquiring stakes in the tournament. By Monday, interested investors- including IPL franchises, private equity firms, and American sports stakeholders-submitted their second-round bids.

As reported by ESPN Cricinfo, up to eight IPL franchises, meaning owners or co-owners, have been involved in the process and reportedly held talks with counties for the past two months. However, the ECB wants diversified ownership.

It appears that ECB Chairman Richard Thompson will support the American investors who have a long-term vision for the game; their time zone is favourable with the media, and England, meanwhile, has unexplored potential in cricket.

ECB concerned with increasing interest from IPL investors

Among the big-name bidders are Avram Glazer, co-owner of Manchester United, and CVC Capital Partners, owners of Gujarat Titans. Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny are also said to be interested in Welsh Fire. The 49% stakes in all eight franchises will be sold to inject more than £350 million into English cricket, of which 10% is reserved for recreational cricket.

While the IPL franchises continue to dominate global T20 leagues, ECB's advisors have believed that "optimising value" is more important than maximising bids. Some counties like Lancashire and Surrey prefer to retain their majority stakes.

The selection process will move into 2025, with contracts to finalise by April. The ECB will seek to balance financial growth with safeguarding English cricket's integrity.

CSK, MI Lead Bids in The Hundred Stake Sale

Leading IPL teams such as Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have dominated the stake sale process for The Hundred. According to Cricbuzz reports, other IPL teams have also tendered their bids in the recent past, including Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Rajasthan Royals (RR). However, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have opted out of this round.