The Sun Group-owned Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) hit the headlines for buying stakes in the Hundred team Northern Superchargers. SRH have become the third Indian Premier League (IPL) team to invest in England’s league competition which kicked off in 2021. Sunrisers pulled off the deal after outclassing two other applicants.
The Superchargers have become the sixth team to be sold by the England Cricket Board (ECB) and the winning amount for the side was GBP 100 million. The ECB are targeting to popularise the league and their strategy is to attract private investment by selling stakes in the Hundred teams. Besides SRH, IPL’s Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) also bought stakes in Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals respectively.
The lucrative deal has sealed SRH’s 49% stake in the team and following this development, the Sunrisers will look to run the team with Yorkshire Country Cricket Club, who currently runs the side. The Superchargers have created a massive fanbase among cricket buffs at Headingley.
Sanjay Patel, who is Yorkshire's chief executive, released a statement and said, "We are delighted to be entering into an exclusivity period with the Sun Group, and will be continuing our conversations with them in the coming weeks with a view to setting the Northern Superchargers up for long-term and sustained success."
Patel also added, "Having been in consultation with them for some time now, it is clear that they are aligned to the values and future direction of the club and will play a huge part in ensuring we can go on to achieve great success in the coming years. Today is clearly a huge milestone for Yorkshire CCC, the Northern Superchargers and the Sun Group, but it is worth stressing that there is a lot of detail to be discussed alongside further due diligence and legal processes before a contract can be signed."
Superchargers becomes the the Hundred’s sixth side to come under private ownership
Following this notable business deal, the Superchargers have become the sixth side to come under private ownership. Earlier, London Spirit, Welsh Fire, Oval Invincibles, Birmingham Phoenix, and Manchester Original also attracted private buyers. Southern Brave and Trent Rockets are still under ECB’s control. The Superchargers are yet to win their maiden title in both men's and women's competition. Their best performance came in 2024 with both teams finishing in the fourth spot.
