More than 6 IPL franchises including CSK and MI have reportedly placed bids to gain a stake in The Hundred, the 100-ball league run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). With October 18 marking the deadline for first-round bids, several IPL teams have taken their first step towards owning a stake in the unique English tournament.
According to Cricbuzz, some of the top IPL franchises have filed bids for The Hundred, including Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mumbai Indians (MI), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Delhi Capitals.
However, they have not made any public declarations about their candidacy, but it is commonly assumed that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have joined the competition, as has UP Warriorz, a Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchise owned by Dubai-based Capri Global Group.
However, the inclusion of international heavyweights such as Avram Glazer’s Lancer Capitals, Manchester United co-owners, and Desert Vipers team operators in the ILT20 adds to the intrigue of the bidding process. This global attention reflects The Hundred’s expanding appeal as a prominent property in the world of domestic leagues.
RCB, PBKS, and a few more IPL franchises are not interested in The Hundred
While CSK, MI, SRH, and KKR have placed bids for a stake in the Hundred, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), owned by British company Diageo, and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have decided to withdraw from The Hundred. On the other hand, the Gujarat Titans’ (GT) stance is unknown, but reports regarding their potential interest persist.
CVC Capital, the proprietors of the Ahmedabad-based franchise Gujarat Titans (GT), maintains an office in the United Kingdom, fueling speculation about their involvement.
The fact that Gujarat Titans’ (GT) operational head, Nick Clarry, is located in London adds fuel to the fire, raising the prospect of their involvement in the ECB’s The Hundred.
This is only the first round of the bidding process, so franchisees are not required to select one of the eight teams in The Hundred right away; the decision will be made in the second round, which is likely to take place following the IPL 2025 mega auction.
The report further hinted that The ECB is looking at a franchise valuation of between £75 million and £100 million. The addition of IPL powerhouses to The Hundred might make the competition even more lucrative and internationally renowned.
Meanwhile, the ECB intends to sell at least 49% of each of The Hundred’s teams to new investors to increase competition. Interested buyers may have to invest between £40 million and £50 million to purchase this share.
While the ECB currently owns 100% of the competition, the remaining 51% of each team will be retained by the counties linked with it, forming a joint venture between the new investors and counties.
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