Sundar Pichai, along with other Silicon Valley executives, bid more than 80 million pounds (approximately 843,208,000 rupees) for two London-based franchises, Oval Invincibles and London Spirit. Both are in The Hundred Cricket League.
South Asians, especially Indians, are passionate about cricket, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, one of the world’s richest executives, is no exception. Pichai has often talked about his passion for cricket in interviews, but the Alphabet CEO now wants to take his love for cricket to another level, and what better way to do that than by buying a cricket team? There’s no other way.
Sundar Pichai, along with other Silicon Valley executives, bid more than 80 million pounds (approximately Rs. 843,208,000) for two London-based franchises, Oval Invincibles and London Spirit, according to Bloomberg. It is said that he did. Both are part of the unique short film “The Hundred.” – Cricket tournament held at several venues in England and Wales.
According to reports, the group of Indian-origin executives will include Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora and Indian media veterans Times Internet Media, the digital division of Times of India Media Group. Ltd. will be led by Mr. Sathyan Gajwani, Vice President. Also included are Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan, and Silver Lake Management LLC Co-CEO Egon Durban.
Indian technology executives have played a key role in promoting cricket in non-cricket countries like the United States, and Satya Nadella and Shantanu Narayan have invested heavily in Major League Cricket.
Recently, in a bid to shore up the declining cricket finances in the UK, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is holding an auction similar to the one held for the Indian Premier League (IPL) in September 2024. announced that it would secure private investment for eight leagues. Teams participating in The Hundred Tournament.
According to Bloomberg, the auction is being managed by investment bank Reign Group, which previously consulted on the sales of Manchester United and Chelsea FC.
The ECB is considering selling a 49% stake in each team, but the two London-based teams are attracting the most interest from investors because they play at Lord’s, also known as the “Mecca of Cricket.” As a result, interest from investors is increasing. Potential to generate more revenue.
However, it is the two London teams that have shown the most interest from investors, with the option of a full takeover. The London Spirit is also attracting investors because the team plays at Lord’s, also known as the ‘home of cricket’. According to the ECB’s website, the ECB earns around £60m each year from broadcasting, ticket sales and sponsorship of the Hundred tournament.
The Hundred
Unlike the IPL, The Hundred does not follow the traditional T20 format, instead each innings consists of 100 balls per side, making it one of the shortest formats of cricket. The Hundred’s format is designed to attract cricket enthusiasts who prefer fast-paced action and has quickly become popular since its launch in 2021, attracting over 2 million viewers across eight venues across England and Wales. Fans attended the match.
According to the ECB’s website, the ECB earns around £60m each year from broadcasting, ticket sales and sponsorship of the Hundred tournament.
Notably, IPL is the largest and most successful cricket league in the world, with big names such as Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and billionaire Mukesh Ambani, who owns the league’s franchise. Mukesh Ambani is the owner of the Mumbai Indians team and Shah Rukh Khan is the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
