Sanjiv Goenka Beats IPL Giant to Buy Manchester Originals for ₹1,120 Crore!

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Sanjiv Goenka, the chairman of RPSG Group and owner of the Lucknow Super Giants, has acquired a 49% stake in Manchester Originals, a franchise in England’s The Hundred tournament. The deal, valued at around ₹1251 crore, makes Goenka the second IPL franchise owner to invest in The Hundred, following Reliance Industries Limited, which recently secured a stake in Oval Invincibles.

RPSG’s Latest Move in Global Cricket

The Manchester Originals franchise is jointly owned by Lancashire, which was actively looking for an IPL partner to invest in the team. Goenka won the bid on Monday, securing a major presence in England’s franchise cricket.

This move comes after RPSG failed to win a stake in London Spirit last week, where a Silicon Valley tech company acquired the team, valuing it at a staggering ₹3,090 crore (£295 million). However, Goenka’s successful bid for Manchester Originals came at a much lower price, estimated for around £167 million (approx ₹ 1251 crore) for the 49% stake.

Competition From IPL Owners

Goenka was not the only IPL franchise owner eyeing the Manchester-based team. Reliance Industries, which owns Mumbai Indians, was also in contention but dropped out after acquiring a stake in Oval Invincibles.

Lancashire has been building strong ties with India, organizing men’s and women’s pre-season tours and signing Indian cricketers like Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, and Venkatesh Iyer to play in England’s domestic competitions.

Goenka’s Expanding Cricket Empire

Sanjiv Goenka has been making significant investments in franchise cricket over the years. In 2021, he paid ₹7,090 crore to acquire Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL. The following year, he purchased Durban’s Super Giants in South Africa’s SA20 league. He also owned Rising Pune Supergiants, which played in the IPL in 2016 and 2017 while Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended.

With this new investment in Manchester Originals, RPSG becomes the second IPL ownership group to enter The Hundred, after Reliance.

More IPL Owners Looking at The Hundred

According to reports, more IPL teams are exploring investments in England’s franchise league. Sun Group, owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad, are interested in Northern Superchargers and Trent Rockets, while GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals, is expected to acquire Southern Brave, having already purchased Hampshire in 2024.

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