Indian business giant invests in Manchester Originals cricket franchise

An Indian business empire has agreed to purchase a 70% stake in short format cricket team Manchester Originals. The remaining 30% will be owned by Lancashire County Cricket Club.

RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG) has entered into an exclusivity period following its success in the team auction held by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) earlier this month. 

RPSG, which owns business process outsourcing company Firstsource Solutions, also has cricket interests in the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Durban’s Super Giants in the South Africa T20.

Described by Lancashire as “a historic investment” it boosts Manchester Originals ambitions to become a leading cricket brand in the Hundred format, which runs male and female teams and plays in an eight team league in the summer. 

Lancashire board member James Sheridan, also the group M&A director at law firm Knights, said he was particularly focused on developing the Hundred format as a spectator sport aimed at families, young fans as a way of building the sport in diverse communities.

Sheridan first worked with broadcaster Mark Chapman on setting up the Manchester Originals which he said has the aim of creating absolute parity of esteem with the women and men’s teams.

At a press conference at the Emirates Old Trafford on Friday Sheridan said: “Manchester Originals offers a compelling growth opportunity for a partner sharing our ambitions to grow our fanbase, business and teams – and together we are committed to leading Manchester Originals and Lancashire Cricket into an exciting new era alongside RPSG Group.

“We want to offer our fans an experience never before seen in English cricket – looking to the IPL, and other major sports, for inspiration, as we take our match day and fan experience to a completely different level. Whether in stadia or via digital channels, Manchester will be the team to follow in The Hundred as we will look to bring the world’s top cricket stars, both female and male, to Manchester every August and provide sporting entertainment of the highest level to the people of Manchester and the wider North West.“

The Hundred format features just eight clubs, including the Manchester Originals, with a centrally negotiated TV deal with Sky and the BBC and Lancashire expect to fill their 22,000 Emirates Old Trafford at its 4 home fixtures, which feature both mens and womens teams.

Lancashire Cricket Chair, Andy Anson, said: “This announcement marks a momentous occasion for Lancashire Cricket. We have been very focused on securing a great sporting partner for the Manchester Originals and RPSG has been our preferred bidder for some time. As we said last week, we are delighted by the outcome and look forward to working together to create an exciting future.”

Headquartered in Kolkata, the group’s businesses include power and energy, manufacturing, retail, IT-enabled services, FMCG, media and entertainment, infrastructure and education.

Dr Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman of the RPSG Group, added: “We respect the legacy of Lancashire Cricket and we welcome Manchester Originals to our RPSG family. We are committed to developing a deep bond with the players, support team and the whole community at large. We believe in excellence and see a huge potential to deliver good quality cricket for generations to come.”

Mr. Shashwat Goenka, Vice Chairman of the RPSG Group, said: “We are very excited with this partnership, and we believe this gives us the impetus to chart a new experience for our fanbase. Together with Lancashire Cricket, it is our endeavour to provide an elevated and meaningful experience to everyone who loves cricket.”

The investment remains subject to a satisfactory conclusion of the final due diligence and legal processes and a further announcement will be made in due course.