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IPL ownership in The Hundred: ECB's new lifeline for county cricket
Investment uplift amid financial divide
The current financial landscape of English county cricket reveals deep economic inequalities. While a few top-tier counties command significant revenue streams, many smaller clubs find themselves struggling to stay afloat. Counties without a Hundred team, including Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, depend heavily on ECB funding to survive each season.
The ECB's move to open up The Hundred to private ownership aims to narrow this financial gap. The sale of equity in the eight Hundred franchises is expected to generate substantial revenue, with a portion of it allocated to all 18 first-class counties—regardless of whether they host a Hundred side or not.
IPL and American investors reshape The Hundred
Four franchises in The Hundred have secured backing from IPL owners. Oval Invincibles, Northern Superchargers, Manchester Originals and Southern Brave have attracted investments from management teams behind leading IPL clubs such as Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals.
The remaining four franchises—Trent Rockets, London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix and Welsh Fire—are now supported by American investors, bringing fresh capital and global sports business expertise to English cricket. According to those involved in the transition, this strategic mix of Indian and US investment is not only about financial sustainability but also knowledge-sharing and operations enhancement.
Building facilities, fans and futures
Warwickshire County Cricket Club CEO Stuart Cain has pointed out that this new funding can drive improvements beyond the Hundred-hosting counties. By investing in better stadiums, clubs can enhance the matchday experience, attract more spectators and increase revenue streams. Cain also cited his club's plan to develop an on-site hotel at Edgbaston as an example of how counties can use the money smartly to build long-term revenue-generation avenues.
He added that counties disadvantaged by the Hundred's franchise locations now have the financial means to improve infrastructure and strengthen teams, especially for formats like red-ball cricket and the T20 Blast.
Talent development and raising standards
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the influx of investment will go beyond infrastructure upgrades and play a key role in player development. He urged counties to collaborate more closely and break away from traditional rivalries to ensure best practices are shared across the board.
Former Indian wicketkeeper and Lancashire legend Farokh Engineer echoed this sentiment, recalling a time when county cricket regularly featured global stars. He expressed hope that the renewed financial backing will raise the standard of play and restore county cricket to its former prestige.
Making the most of the windfall
Stakeholders agree that how counties handle the new funding will define the long-term success of this initiative. The money alone won't fix structural issues unless it's invested strategically in facilities, player development, fan engagement and marketing. The IPL has provided a model of sustainable, high-quality cricket through smart management, and there's a strong belief that English counties can learn from this approach to evolve their own systems.
As the fifth season of The Hundred approaches, the ECB's openness to global investment has set the stage for a new era in English cricket. It's a defining moment—one that could decide whether county cricket merely survives or is truly reborn.
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India.com
a few seconds ago
- India.com
IND vs ENG 2025 4th Test Handshake Saga: Ben Stokes was behaving like a 'spoilt kid'. says star India cricketer
England captain Ben Stokes argues with Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja on Day 5 of 4th Test in Manchester. (Photo: IANS) The fourth Test between India and England ended in a draw at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester on Sunday. It was just the second draw in the 'Bazball' era on England soil under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. However, the thrilling clash which ended with a heroic display by the young Indian team ended on a sour note on the final day. With the final hour starting the 4th Test and India only four wickets down, England skipper Ben Stokes approached the two India batters in the middle – Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – with an offer to call off the game as a draw. But Jadeja and Sundar refused the offer as both of them were approaching well-deserved centuries. Stokes was not at all pleased that his side had to spend more time in the middle, even as Jadeja and Sundar approached personal milestones. After the Test match eventually ended in a draw, Stokes refused to shake the hands of two Indian centurions Jadeja and Sundar. Ben Stokes refusing a handshake with Sundar & Jadeja isn't 'passion' — it's poor sportsmanship. You can't preach spirit of the game and forget it when the fight doesn't go your way. 👎#RavindraJadeja #Jadeja 🇮🇳🇮🇳 #INDvsENGTest #Sundar — Sagar Lohatkar (@sagarlohatkar) July 27, 2025 Former India cricketer and JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar felt that Stokes was behaving like a 'spoilt kid'. 'I think that was the perfect summation of what happened — a draw that feels like a win. And yet again, this young Indian batting line-up continues to surprise. You expected KL Rahul and Shubman Gill to be the partnership to watch out for, but that stand was broken early in the day. However, India keeps producing warriors every Test match — this time, it was Washington Sundar who stood tall,' Manjrekar said after the final day's play. 'Fantastic batting once again. In the end, what we saw was frustration from a team that is used to dominating at home. It's rare to see England settle for a draw twice in the Bazball era. Remember, this is the first time Ben Stokes abandoned his principle of batting first after winning the toss — and it happened against India. This draw, without any weather intervention, came against India. That says a lot. India has forced Stokes to rethink his approach and leadership style. What we saw towards the end was a captain frustrated, unaccustomed to such results, and having to fight so hard to secure a favorable outcome. He thought the win was sealed, and finally, I must say, he behaved like a bit of a spoilt kid. 'After hours of watching Jadeja and Washington bat for hours, both nearing centuries, there was no way India would have accepted his declaration offer. Ben Stokes will regret that moment — and that frustration only tells you how much this new-age Indian batting line-up has unsettled England throughout the series,' the former India batter added. No personal milestones before team's goal for Ben Stokes: Jonathan Trott Manjrekar's English counterpart Jonathan Trott also chipped in on the 'handshake' controversy on the final day. Trott revealed that Stokes gesture was a common practice in England in Test cricket. 'I am not sure if it was necessary, but the common practice — certainly here in England — is that if you're offered the opportunity to finish the game early, it's usually more about the game situation than personal milestones. From Ben Stokes' perspective, no personal milestone comes ahead of the team's goal. In this case, India's goal was to secure a draw, and they achieved that,' JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott said. 'So for England, the expectation was that India would shake hands and walk off with 80 not out — that would normally suffice. But I can also understand the other side. For someone like Washington Sundar, who has batted so well, giving up the chance to score a debut hundred is not easy. You never know when another opportunity will come. So, I understand both viewpoints. England are probably a little frustrated but that's natural. What this does, though, is set things up nicely for the next Test. It's going to be spicy, and I'm looking forward to it,' he added. 'England bowlers performance is very worrying' Even after leading Team India by 311 runs in the first innings, England bowlers failed to bowl out Shubman Gill's side in the Manchester Test. English bowlers got the perfect start with two wickets in the very first over of the Indian innings but only picked up two more wickets for better part of two days. 'England tried everything, didn't they? They can't say they didn't give their best. But for me, the concern lies in the quality — and as an England fan and former player, with the Ashes coming up and this series on the line, it's worrying. England bowled 142 overs and managed just two wickets on a Day 4 and 5 pitch where the ball was keeping low. Both wickets came in the first over. That's slightly concerning because they had two bites at the new ball when India were under pressure, yet couldn't capitalize. 'Looking at India, though, we've discovered another strong left-handed batter and a quality all-rounder in Washington Sundar — just 25-26 (years old). He can excel in both disciplines and looks like the heir apparent to Ravindra Jadeja whenever he decides to hang up his boots. Sundar has batted magnificently, and he seems capable of playing for a long time. This makes India's selection tricky going forward, but it certainly makes the team a lot stronger,' Trott said.


Time of India
a few seconds ago
- Time of India
Kinetic launches DX e-scooter starting at ₹1.11 lakh
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Mint
a few seconds ago
- Mint
Ashwin calls out Englands 'double standard'; cricket fraternity back India
New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) Feisty R Ashwin called out England's "doubles standards" in their attempt to prematurely end the fourth Test as cricket fraternity extensively supported India's decision to let Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar complete their well-deserved centuries instead of accepting home team's handshake offer. Drama erupted at the start of the final hour of the match on Sunday when home skipper Ben Stokes offered to shake hands with Indian batters, realising that an outright result was not possible. Jadeja and Washington batting on 89 and 80 respectively refused the offer to leave the England captain frustrated. Stokes later said that he made the offer since he didn't want to risk injury to his fatigued frontline bowlers. "Have you heard the term double standards? They played your bowlers all day, batted you out and suddenly when they're nearing hundreds, you want to walk off? Why should they?," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. "They have played all your bowlers since morning and taken it to a draw. They have worked hard, so you want them to leave their hundred?" the former off-spinner fumed. India eventually called it a draw once both Jadeja and Washington brought up their centuries. It was Washington's maiden Test ton. Both Ashwin and legendary Sunil Gavaskar said they would have had India bat mandated 15 overs. "If I was the Indian captain, I would have played the entire 15 overs," Ashwin said. Gavaskar echoed the same sentiment on Sony Sports: "I'd ask them to keep batting and keep the team on the field for the full 15 overs." As England players crowded Jadeja, Stokes had sarcastically quipped "You're going to get a Test hundred against Harry Brook (part-time bowler)?" "You ask, 'You want to make a hundred against Harry Brook? He has to make a hundred, you bring Steve Harmison, Andre Flintoff bring any bowler - they didn't object, it was your call to bring Brook, not ours," Ashwin said. "These are Test runs, a century is earned, not gifted, Washington deserved it, Jadeja deserved it. Period." Ashwin said India were well within their rights to refuse to call it a draw with the two batters going for their milestone. "There were two reasons: one you didn't want to tire your bowlers. Fine. Second you were frustrated and though 'If I'm not happy, you shouldn't be either'. That's now how cricket works." Former Australia keeper-batter Brad Haddin called out England for their poor sportsmanship. "India showed tremendous fight on the final day. Then all of a sudden, it was a situation when England said they can't win so then let's stop the game because England are done playing," Haddin said on the 'WillowTalkPodcast'. "I liked what India did, they earned the right to stay as long as they want. They had the right to make the hundred. Just because it didn't go England's way and they didn't get the answer that they want, all of sudden they (England) weren't happy and started getting verbal. "So things don't go England's way all of sudden it's everyone else's problem. Well done to India," Haddin said. Former England captain Alastair Cook too backed India's decision, suggesting the momentum would serve them well heading into the fifth and final Test at The Oval, which they need to win to level the series. "It was the right decision for (Jadeja and Washington) to carry on for the momentum they'll gain from it," Cook said on BBC's 'Test Match Special'. "When you've been out in the field for 140 overs, you get frustrated. So, it is a little bit of frustration for England but I understand why India did it," he added. Nasser Hussain, another former skipper, agreed termed Stokes' decision to bowl Harry Brook after the handshake as "silly". "I didn't have a problem with it. England seemed to have a problem with it. They were a bit tired, tired bowlers so they wanted to get off but two lads worked hard to get to 80s and 90s and they wanted to get Test match hundreds," Hussain said on 'Sky Sports'. "Stokes didn't have to bowl Brook and look silly at the end. We make far too much of these things. They played well and all credit to India," Hussain said.