If approved, it will mark the first-ever time a county club in England will be owned by an overseas franchise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Under the terms of an agreement that has been passed to the England and Wales Cricket Board for ratification, the GMR Group is poised to take full ownership of Hampshire and a 51 per cent stake in the Southern Brave, with the option to complete a 100 per cent takeover of the Hundred franchise,\u201d said a report in The Telegraph.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It added that GMR Group is understood to have beaten a second bid from rival Indian Premier League franchise (IPL) Lucknow Super Giants. The development comes ahead of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) set to sell stakes in the eight Hundred teams, where the board is willing to sell 49% of shares.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Apart from holding 50% stake in DC sides in IPL and Women\u2019s Premier League (WPL), the GMR Group also has stakes in Dubai Capitals, the UAE-based franchise team competing in the ILT20, and Seattle Orcas, who recently participated in season two of the Major Cricket League (MLC).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Once the deal to acquire Hampshire is done, GMR Group will also gain control of the Utilita Bowl (Southampton Bowl cricket stadium), a Hilton hotel (alongside the stadium) and a golf course \u2013 all present at the same site. The venue is slated to host England Test matches in 2027, 2029 and 2030, as well as eight white-ball international games from 2025 to 2031.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe ECB has been actively courting Indian investment themselves so is not thought to have any objections to Delhi\u2019s bid. Its main concern in assessing such bids is that the interests of the game\u2019s existing stakeholders are protected, particularly Hampshire\u2019s fellow Southern Brave shareholders, Sussex,\u201d further said the report.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It has also mentioned about the takeover of Hampshire also opening up the possibility of the club gaining access to some of Delhi Capitals' young players for domestic tournaments. As of now, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not currently permit current India men\u2019s cricketers to play in the Hundred or any other overseas competitions, though they can sign the players for short-term county contracts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe ECB has been actively courting Indian investment themselves so is not thought to have any objections to Delhi\u2019s bid. Its main concern in assessing such bids is that the interests of the game\u2019s existing stakeholders are protected, particularly Hampshire\u2019s fellow Southern Brave shareholders, Sussex,\u201d further said the report.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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