Last updated:January 15, 2025, 12:58 IST
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai joins Silicon Valley leaders in making a $97 million bid for The Hundred cricket team Oval Invincibles or London Spirit.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai, an avid cricket fan, has joined the growing list of Indian technology executives investing in the sport. (AP file photo)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced that he will be a member of the London team of The Hundred, a short-format cricket league that spans England and Wales, a Bloomberg report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The company will join a consortium of Silicon Valley executives aiming to attract a cricket team based in the United States.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the consortium has given more than 80 million pounds ($97 million) to one of two teams: Oval Invincibles or London Spirit.
The bid is being led by Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, and vice chairman of Times Internet, the digital arm of the Times of India Group, and India’s This is media mogul Sathyan Gajwani. The consortium also includes notable names such as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan, and Egon Durban, co-CEO of private equity firm Silver Lake Management.
Pichai, an avid cricket fan, is joining a growing list of Indian technology executives investing in the sport. Cricket originated in England, but its economic powerhouse is now India. The success of the Indian Premier League boasts big player contracts, large television audiences, and extensive sponsorship.
Indian technology leaders like Nadella and Narayen have already played a key role in popularizing cricket in the United States and are investing in Major League Cricket. In England, The Hundred is positioned as a modernized cricket format designed to attract younger fans and families. Launched in 2021, the game features matches with just 100 balls per side and simpler rules, making it faster-paced and more accessible. Since its inception, the League has attracted more than two million participants across eight venues across England and Wales.
In a bid to shore up the league’s financial position, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched a bid in September inviting private investors to buy stakes in the eight teams participating in The Hundred. The auction, run by investment bank Raine Group, has attracted global interest, with bids for London Spirit and Oval Invincible. The ECB will sell a 49% stake in each team, with an option to buy them outright.
The London Spirit is particularly attractive to investors as it is home to Lord’s, often referred to as the ‘home of cricket’. Together, the men’s and women’s Hundred competitions generate around £60m of revenue for the ECB annually through broadcasting, sponsorship and tickets. sale.
