Mumbai Indians acquire major stake in The Hundred franchise Oval Invincibles

After winning a virtual auction on Thursday afternoon, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the owners of the Mumbai Indians, is set to purchase a 49% share in Oval Invincibles. Before finalizing the purchase, RIL will negotiate agreements with Surrey, the ECB, and their financial consultants throughout exclusivity.

A report claims that the Mumbai Indians (MI), which are owned by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), have acquired the franchise after securing a record price of 123 million pounds, which is far more than the expected sum. The Surrey Country's Oval Invincible was first up in the blocks following the commencement of the auction, according to the article. The largest bid for a share in the Invincibles was made by RIL.

With Surrey being the wealthiest English county club and MI being without a doubt the largest IPL team, the purchase also marks the union of two titans in their respective marketplaces. There were rumours that the Mumbai Indians squad would play the London Spirits in The Hundred tournament, but they decided to focus on the Invincibles instead. 

After winning the previous two tournaments, the Oval Invincibles are the reigning winners in the Men's Hundred. In addition, they have won the trophy twice in the women's division of the competition, in 2021 and 2022.

As a result, the Hundred will be the fourth non-Indian league to have a franchise led by the five-time IPL champions and the first WPL champions. The recently signed Hundred deal came following the International League T20 (ILT20), SA20, and Major League Cricket (MLC). 

Mumbai Indians IPL 2025 preview

Mumbai Indians are preparing for a comeback in the upcoming IPL 2025 after finishing last in the previous season. The team has concentrated on keeping its core group of seasoned players while adding promising new talent to improve squad balance.

With a large amount of their auction budget going toward keeping important players, Mumbai went into the auction with little money but was able to make some noteworthy acquisitions.