Sun Group Acquires 100% Stake In Northern Superchargers

The Sun Group, owners of the IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad, have bought 100% ownership of the Northern Superchargers, one of the most important teams in the Hundred competition.

This is a big milestone in the continued sales of Hundred franchises, as the deal is seen to sell not only the ECB’s 49% stake but also Yorkshire’s 51% share. Thus, they are the first team sold fully as host counties only retained a share in other franchise deals.

The deal, worth £100 million, will be an investment for Esports Yorkshire Limited

Sun Group acquired the same through an auction in which it received two more interested bidders, and this has been estimated at £100 million. It is reported that the deal would be concluded in about eight weeks following the close of the process on the Hundred sale. Part of the sale includes Yorkshire’s sale of its 51% stake to this new company; in fact, it is being given a little above £40 million after going through a bad spell financially.

The chairman of Yorkshire, Colin Graves, had warned earlier that the club was facing financial difficulties, with debts over £20 million, including a significant portion owed to his family trust.

Financial Consequences for Yorkshire

Yorkshire County Cricket Club is the one to stand to gain so much from this deal. It will retain 80% of the proceeds to be generated by the sale of its 51% stake in the club, which will form a critical component of its cash injection. Some of these huge debts include £15 million borrowed from Colin Graves’ family trust. The move is seen to be important in the recovery of the club in terms of financial recovery and future stability.

The Sun Group continues to add a prestigious T20 franchise to its portfolio with the acquisition of Northern Superchargers. The Sun Group already owns the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, which gained significant success when it won the IPL title in 2016 and has since been consistent in its performance, finishing as runner-up in 2024.

In 2023, the group expanded its portfolio by purchasing the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa’s SA20, a franchise that has experienced instant success by winning the tournament’s title in both of its first two seasons.

The Sun Group is owned by Kalanithi Maran, an influential Indian media mogul who has been instrumental in the success of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise since its acquisition in 2012. The group’s acquisition of Northern Superchargers further solidifies their presence in the cricket world’s spectrum of evolution.

Brighter Future for the Northern Superchargers

Yet another franchise that had no title-winning experience in Hundred competition, at least not last season, both their men’s and women’s teams completed fourth in 2024. The male team is currently led by coach Andrew Flintoff, who previously played for the English national side, and it is captained by Harry Brook, a budding talent. Their women’s squad has recently transitioned to having Lisa Keightley as its head coach in place of Dani Hazell; Mickey Arthur joined as the franchise’s new director of cricket.

Sanjay Patel, Yorkshire’s chief executive and former managing director of the Hundred, is positive about the future of the Superchargers under the new ownership. 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. However, he also mentioned that the agreement is still subject to further due diligence and legal processes before it is finalized.

IPL involvement spreads across the Hundred competition

With this takeover, the Sun Group becomes another on the fast-expanding list of IPL franchises invested in the Hundred. Apart from the acquisition of the stakes, other teams owned by an IPL franchise owner are RPSG Group-Lucknow Super Giants and Reliance Industries Limited-Mumbai Indians, which are reportedly making quite big investments. Two of the said entities succeeded in acquiring their respective stakes by outbidding Manchester Originals and Oval Invincibles.

Further, the GMR Group, the co-owners of Delhi Capitals, will also invest in Southern Brave as they have secured a deal to acquire Hampshire County Cricket Club. This is another indication of how the influence of IPL franchises in the global T20 leagues is on the rise and interest in the Hundred competition is rising as an investment opportunity.

The Remaining Franchise Sales

As of now, the total valuation of the six franchises that have been sold or are in the process of being sold stands at close to £800 million. The Trent Rockets and Southern Brave franchises are yet to be sold, and their sales are expected to further elevate the overall valuation of the competition.

Others to have invested in the sale ongoing include Cricket Investor Holdings Limited that is a tech consortium led by Nikesh Arora, the former Google’s chief operating officer. It did win the bid for London Spirit. Sanjay Govil is another tech entrepreneur who won his stake in Welsh Fire. And Knighthead Capital is likely to invest its stake in the Birmingham Phoenix.

ALSO READ: Jamie Smith Injured: England’s Setback Before ODI Series