The Hundred League, the innovative eight-team competition run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), seems to be losing interest among Indian Premier League (IPL) owners. According to reports, at least two clubs the Chennai Super Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders have chosen not to take the proposals to acquire the English teams seriously.
Cricbuzz has learned from sources inside the IPL establishment that they are not entirely persuaded by the league's financial strategy. The ECB's media rights projection, specifically the broadcast revenue from foreign markets, is the key concern facing investors. The value forecast is considered unrealistic, extremely enthusiastic, and not exactly achievable. It is reportedly around GBP 34 million year in the following broadcast cycle of 2029–2022, which is around 16 times the current value.
Although the two clubs' executives were unavailable, it is believed that Shahrukh Khan's Knight Riders consider the acquisition to be an unfeasible commercial venture. Although they are still in the race, they are not likely to actively engage in the process. The same is said for the Super Kings, who are reportedly thinking of pulling out. It is believed that the ECB was questioned extensively by the CSK officials. A person familiar with the situation stated, "The concerns are being addressed but they seem not too chuffed about buying a team."
Three of the ten IPL teams—Gujarat Titans, Punjab King, and Royals Challengers Bengaluru—did not express interest in the bidding process from the start and did not participate. Half of the IPL teams, who are actually leading a number of overseas leagues, might not be competitive in the 100-ball league with two more not particularly interested.
The ECB did not want The Hundred to be an all-IPL event like the one in South Africa, so it would not be a huge setback, but fewer bidders means a slight effect on the selling price. It is unclear to what extent the ECB will be able to achieve their goal of raising roughly a billion pounds from the auction. At present, the third round of negotiations is in progress.
It has been revealed that the ECB is proceeding with the sale in phases, keeping all interested parties in the race until the very end. For each team, three to four investors are shortlisted, and sealed cover bids are then held. The highest bidder receives the team, while the remaining investors compete for other teams. Currently, the strategy is to sell one team at a time. "After the winning bidder is chosen, they will engage in exclusive discussions until the purchase is finalized. Deals will probably be finalized between March and May, according to Cricbuzz, an ECB source.
The teams that are now owned and operated by eight counties are anticipated to have new owners for the 2025 summer edition of The Hundred. The eight participating teams are the Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets, and Welsh Fire.
One of the two London teams, most likely the Lord's-based London Spirit, is associated with the Mumbai Indians squad, which is owned by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries (RIL). Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of the Lucknow SuperGiants, is rumored to be interested in acquiring a London franchise as well. However, it has been reported that the ECB is not particularly eager to sell the two London teams to the IPL owners. Under such circumstances, a group of American software entrepreneurs may be candidates for the second London squad, the Oval Invincibles.
Oval Invincibles and another county are reportedly unwilling to give up their dominant position. According to the plan, the ECB will sell buyers 49% of a team, and the corresponding county, which owns the remaining 51% interest, will decide whether or not to give up any stake. "It's down to the venue whether they offer any of their 51 per cent as well, but we wouldn't comment on which teams aren't doing this," a spokesperson for the ECB stated. In response, a representative for the Invincibles said, "This is an ongoing process and we would not have anything to say."
The Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, SunRisers Hyderabad, and Mumbai Indians are still in the running, in addition to the Lucknow SuperGiants and Mumbai Indians. By March or May, the ECB hopes to have the deal finalized. The 2025 season's dates have not yet been announced. The July–August window was used during the 2024 season.