Kavya Maran’s Landmark Deal Shakes Up English Cricket
This one took everyone by surprise. Kavya Maran, who already makes waves as the CEO of both Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa’s SA20 league, just made her boldest move yet. She’s snapped up a 49% stake in the Northern Superchargers, a team in England’s The Hundred cricket league. The price tag? £100 million—about ₹1,000 crore. This isn’t just another rich-person-moves-into-cricket story. With this deal, the Sun Group has become the first IPL franchise owner with full control over a team in The Hundred, marking a completely new chapter in the English league’s short history.
The Northern Superchargers aren’t exactly a household name—yet. They’re the pride of Yorkshire and the North East, but so far, silverware has eluded them. The men’s and women’s teams both missed out on finals, despite names like Adam Lyth, Harry Brook, Alyssa Healy, and Hollie Armitage on their books. But with Maran taking charge, things are set to get a serious shake-up. She’s known for getting results, having steered Sunrisers Hyderabad to a famous IPL win in 2016 and her South African outfit to two back-to-back championships.
This latest buyout signals more than just another investment. It’s a power move designed to expand Maran’s footprint in the global cricket scene. Sun Group hasn’t just tossed money at the team—they’re bringing experience and strategy, qualities English domestic cricket has often lacked with traditional county-driven setups. Fans in Leeds and the wider Yorkshire area, already passionate about the game, now see a new kind of ambition and vision coming in from the subcontinent.
What’s Next For The Hundred and Northern Superchargers?
With Maran and the Sun Group now calling the shots, don’t expect business as usual at Headingley. The Hundred will see its first taste of IPL-style ownership, where performance, business savvy, and fan engagement often go hand in hand. For players, that could mean more resources, new kinds of support staff, and fresh thinking on and off the pitch.
You can bet Maran won’t be shy about boosting her team with big names and international stars. Her approach in the IPL and SA20 has already turned middling teams into trophy winners. Northern Superchargers fans will hope for the same kind of magic. There’s already talk among pundits that the injection of new capital and expertise could tilt the competition back toward Yorkshire, a region that’s desperate for fresh glory after years of near-misses and off-field drama at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
But this move isn’t only about one club. For The Hundred itself, the purchase is a test case for the league’s next phase. The days when the English game was an insular affair—controlled solely by the counties—are vanishing fast. Now, IPL powerhouses like Sun Group want in, and they’re happy to spend big to build a truly global product.
Maran herself has been pretty quiet in the media, but her track record suggests she’ll bring in the same high-energy, hands-on style that’s seen her teams climb to the top elsewhere. This new chapter is as much about her ambition as it is about trophies. It signals a cricketing world where borders matter less, and what you do off the field—the deals, the reach, the brand-building—can make as much difference as skills with bat and ball.
