Kavya Maran-Led Sunrisers Hyderabad Make £50 Million Bid To Takeover Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 champion outfit Sunrisers Hyderabad have joined in the fray to purchase the Yorkshire County Cricket Team with a reported £50 Million bid by the Kavya Maran owned franchise. Sunrisers Hyderabad have joined the likes of Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants who wants to acquire the franchise.
Last September, reports surfaced that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) were in talks to take over Yorkshire County Cricket Club with a bid of £25 million. The county has been struggling financially, particularly with an outstanding debt of £15 million owed to the trust of former chair Colin Graves.
Although the initial deal fell through, discussions were rekindled when Graves returned to his role earlier this year. In an open letter, Graves warned the club’s members that Yorkshire would be “fighting for its survival” in 2024 and stressed the urgent need for private investment.
However, recent reports from The Telegraph indicate that negotiations with Rajasthan Royals have stalled again. The IPL franchise had proposed securing their stake in Yorkshire through additional borrowing rather than direct investment. This approach would leave Yorkshire still burdened by debt, merely replacing one form of liability with another, which has been deemed unacceptable. Despite this setback, the negotiations have not officially been declared closed.
Amid the paused talks with Rajasthan Royals, another IPL franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has emerged as a potential buyer. SRH reportedly submitted a bid of £50 million to gain control of both the club and Headingley cricket ground with a double the amount bid offered by RR.
Additionally, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), another IPL franchise, have also shown interest in Yorkshire, although they have yet to submit a formal bid. LSG had previously expressed interest in Hampshire earlier this year, but Hampshire ultimately finalized a £120 million takeover deal with the GMR Group, co-owners of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
These developments highlight the increasing influence of IPL franchises in global cricket, with Rajasthan Royals already owning stakes in the Caribbean Premier League’s and the SA20’s Paarl Royals. Similarly, the RPSG Group, owners of LSG, hold stakes in Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 and Indian football club Mohun Bagan, while the Sun Group, which owns SRH, also owns Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, who have won the first two seasons of the tournament.
19:30 IST
