Goenka Acquires Manchester Originals for 107m

Sanjiv Goenka, the head of RPSG Group, has acquired the Manchester Originals franchise in The Hundred tournament for 107 million GBP. The valuation is roughly half of the price of London Spirit, which was sold to a consortium of US-based tech billionaires for 195 million GBP. Goenka had also pursued the Lord's-based franchise before giving up, now owning 49 percent of Originals.

The exact value of the acquisition was determined through an e-auction, with multiple contenders vying for the franchise. The Glazer family, linked to Manchester United, and CVC Capital were initially presumed to be among the candidates, but neither participated in the auction. An IPL side and a tech consortium were also reportedly interested, with Goenka ultimately emerging as the winner.

Two IPL teams have acquired franchises so far – the Ambanis and Goenka – while three remain: Trent Rockets, Northern Superchargers, and Southern Brave. The SunRisers franchise is believed to be a strong contender to acquire one of the remaining teams. Delhi Capitals' GMR Group is set to retain the Southern Brave franchise, having purchased the Hampshire county.