Hampshire County Cricket Club and Delhi Capitals ink historic deal

The GMR group, co-owner of the Indian Premier League’s Delhi Capitals, created history when it paid an incredible INR 1200 crore to acquire 49% of Hampshire County Cricket Club. The franchise will have the option to acquire a controlling ownership of 51% in the future, under the terms of the agreement. Concurrently, the historic arrangement marks the first time that an English county side and an international investor have come to terms.

The GMR group will now have ownership of the Utilita Bowl, the Hilton hotel, and the 18-hole golf course next to the cricket pitch, which is just one of the many benefits of the new relationship.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) invited foreign investors to acquire a share at The Hundred earlier in the year. Soon after, 18 counties were asked to move forward with privatisation; however, only Hampshire has been successful in signing a contract thus far. Although they haven’t reached an agreement yet, other IPL teams including the Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants, and Mumbai Indians are in negotiations with other countries.

The Times of India was informed by a source after the development that “there is going to be a lot of interest from IPL franchises because they have the money and this is a golden opportunity for the ECB to achieve the long desired financial stability.”

A format change for The Hundred?

The Hundred’s format may change, according to discussions that the ECB authorities have already had. In light of the fact that the 100-ball contests have failed over their four-year existence, the ECB is willing to make changes. The competition’s branding is not expected to change, although it can eventually be changed to T20 matches.

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Things may ultimately change in the future, even though the ECB is still considering the notion and more IPL franchises are interested in owning The Hundred teams. The ECB is anxious to privities The Hundred, so after the transaction between GMR group and Hampshire, other investors would also speed up their discussions and a result might be achieved sooner.