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Delhi Capitals owners on board to buy Hampshire for £120m
Follow UsIf the deal goes through, Hampshire will become the first English county to be owned by an overseas franchise
In a historic move, the GMR group, co-owners of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals, are set to buy the English county Hampshire.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Hampshire, one of the only three counties to not be member owned, will be fully owned by the GMR group. The £120 million price also included the £60 million worth of debts of the county club, and the Indian conglomerate will also own 51% stakes in Southern Braves, a team in The Hundred. They have the option of completing 100% of the franchise.
GMR will also take control of the Rose Bowl stadium in Southampton, along with the Hilton Hotel and golf course situated at the stadium.
The Daily Telegraph report also revealed that the GMR group outbidded the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to buy the county. Talks were already being held since last year between the county and the Delhi Capitals owner, and after a public announcement is made by the county and franchise, GMR group would become the first IPL owners to have a team in The Hundred as well.
They already own a team in ILT20 (Dubai Capitals), and the Major League Cricket (MLC) in America (Seattle Orcas).
Notably, Hampshire has had a history of collaborating with IPL franchises in the past. They had collaborated with the Rajasthan Royals, between 2010 and 2013, when they participated in T20 cricket as Hampshire Royals.
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