ECB Finalize IPL Teams’ Entry in The Hundred League including Reliance Industries, RPSG Group

ECB Confirm IPL Franchises' The Hundred Acquisition

The ECB announced that Reliance Industries, RPSG Group, Sun TV Network Limited, and GMR Group now hold stakes in Oval Invincibles, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, and Southern Brave, respectively. Reliance Industries, the owners of Mumbai Indians, now hold nearly half of Oval Invincibles, one of the top teams in The Hundred with a total of four titles across men's and women's competitions. 

“The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today confirmed a landmark achievement in the evolution of The Hundred, with deals now complete with the first six strategic partners for The Hundred teams,” the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stated in an official statement.

While the Reliance deal is still being finalized, it lines up with their extensive cricket portfolio, which features teams in South Africa’s SA20, the UAE’s ILT20, and Major League Cricket in the US.

The RPSG Group, owner of the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants, has acquired a controlling 70% equity stake in Manchester Originals. 

Sun TV Network Limited, who own Sunrisers Hyderabad, has now taken full control of Northern Superchargers by buying out the ECB’s 49% and Yorkshire’s 51% stakes for around £100 million. Northern Superchargers becoming fully privately owned makes them the first team in the Hundred to do so, and Yorkshire now benefits from a £40 million boost to settle debts and boost their financial health. 

GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals, has taken a 49% share in Southern Brave, building on their previous acquisition of Hampshire County. This development further consolidates their influence and investment in English cricket.

The Hundred 2025 in Brief

The Hundred 2025 men’s tournament will be the fifth edition of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s innovative 100-ball competition, which will run from August 5 to August 31, delivering high-octane cricket across 27 days. 

Eight teams will compete in a 32-match league phase, with each team playing eight games, four at home and four away games. 

The season begins on 5 August at Lord's with an exciting London derby between the reigning champions Oval Invincibles and London Spirit, starting at 11 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST). Key clashes include Oval Invincibles on August 9 at Kennington Oval, Manchester Originals vs London Spirit on 11 August at the Emirates Old Trafford. 

There will be a total of 32 league phase matches that will be followed by the playoffs. The Hundred don't follow the traditional semi-finals to final or the IPL playoffs system. Rather, the competition uses a playoff format in which the team at the top of the table advances straight to the championship match, while the teams in second and third place play an elimination match with the winner going to the championship match.

This season, the Eliminator will be held at The Kennington Oval on August 30, and then the Men's Hundred 2025 champions will be decided a day later at Lord's Stadium on August 31 in the final.

What happened in The Hundred 2024?

The 2024 season of the Hundred Men’s cricket, from July 23 to August 18, was full of thrilling moments, showcasing 100-ball cricket at its best. In the end, Oval Invincibles proudly took home their second straight championship. The event featured eight city teams facing off in 32 thrilling group matches, and the finale at Lord’s drew more spectators than ever before, making it a truly memorable showdown. 

Leading the standings, the Oval Invincibles had a fantastic run with six wins from eight games. It was all about Sam Curran’s all-round display—scoring 201 runs plus taking 17 wickets, including an unforgettable hat-trick and a five-fer, securing him the Player of the Tournament award. 

As a result of topping the points table, they directly qualified for the final match on 18 August. The Birmingham Phoenix and the Southern Brave faced off in the Eliminator. It was the Southern Brave who won the match in Super Over to qualify for the final.

The Oval Invincibles scored 147 runs for nine wickets in the final game. Will Jacks was the top scorer with 37 runs while Sam Curran, Jordan Cox and Tom Curran scored 25 and 24 runs respectively. Akeal Hosein and Tymal Mills took 3 wickets each for Brave with Jofra Archer taking 2 wickets.

Nevertheless, in the second inning, the Oval Invincibles bowled brilliantly. With great bowling, The Invincibles restricted Southern Brave to a mere 130 runs. Several batters had a good start for the Brave but couldn't convert them into big scores. With three wickets to his name, Saqib Mahmood was the standout bowler for the Oval Invincibles. Adam Zampa also contributed with 2 wickets.

This was Oval Invincibles 2nd title, winning them back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. The franchise will be half owned by the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians owners Reliance Industries.