The Sun Group has decided to rename the Northern Superchargers. The owners of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 had decided to enter the English franchise market last year after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) started the sale of The Hundred franchises.
Northern Superchargers renamed as Sunrisers Leeds
The Sun Group was in a three-way battle with two other parties and managed to secure the Hundred franchise in the end. As part of the deal, the ECB sold a 49% stake at £100 million (Rs 1092 crore) at the time of purchase. But the ECB had kept the complete acquisition door open.
The English board had promised the counties that they would retain a majority holding (51%), and then it would be up to them. The Sun Group held a discussion with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and bought out the Northern Superchargers. Now, it’s renamed the Hundred franchise as Sunrisers Leeds before the 2026 season.
MI London & Manchester Super Giants next?
Unlike the SRH, the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) didn’t acquire the two franchises they invested in. MI bought a 49% holding in the Oval Invincibles, while LSG claimed a 70% stake in the Manchester Originals.
However, both will be allowed to rename the franchise. The ECB has allowed the IPL owners to rebrand even if they have a minority holding. There’s a possibility that Oval Invincibles will be called MI London and Manchester Originals will be renamed as Manchester Super Giants.
The two franchises have done so in other cricket leagues. The GMR Group, which acquired a majority stake in Hampshire County Cricket Club, could also rename the Southern Brave.
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