The Manchester Originals, part of The Hundred cricket competition, is poised for a significant rebranding under the ownership of Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group. Goenka purchased a majority 70% stake in the then franchise, based at Old Trafford, for £80 million. The team will face a long-awaited, in-some-ways ill-fated rebranding this October. They might well be given new branding as the Manchester Super Giants or the Manchester Originals Supergiants.
The Hundred debuted in 2021 with a thrilling, innovative new format. Its unique double-header format means that men’s and women’s teams can both play in the same venue, on the same day. This groundbreaking design is intended to create the most immersive and exciting viewing experience imaginable while helping to address gender inequality in sports. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) just hailed an extraordinary auction that raised £520 million. They’ll use this new-found cash to help improve the standards of domestic cricket.
Goenka shared a candid and heartfelt vision for the franchise and its players in a recent interview with the Cricket Monthly. In addition, he announced his desire to grow homegrown talent in Manchester. “And what can we do, say, in five years, seven years, to have a bulk of the national team in England coming out of Manchester?” he questioned, highlighting his goal of nurturing talent similar to players like Jos Buttler and Phil Salt.
Pointing to his stated goal of having as many minority players as possible represent his three Major League Baseball teams, he doubled down on that idea. Most recently, his Durban franchise made moves recruiting Originals stars Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen. This move demonstrates his commitment to building a competitive roster in hand with all his franchises.
The standard of the players turned out in The Hundred has been above Goenka’s worst fears. “I’m frankly enjoying this format. I’m much more familiar, over a longer period of time with the T20…but the more I see this, the more I like it,” he stated. He added that it was realistic to draw in greater quality international players to take part in The Hundred.
Our investors have long opined that a migration to a T20 like format was inevitable. Goenka is really a fan of The Hundred’s present form. “I don’t think The Hundred creates issues for the other formats,” he remarked. He admitted that with an overloaded cricket calendar, players need to be in top physical condition to cope with double headers and consecutive leagues.
The financial fallout from Goenka’s projects have been monumental. The Hundred on which he’s made investments are now valued at around $1.5 billion, within a scant three and a half years. He further described overseas TV rights as a central frontier for his ROI. “The very fact that we are partners with Lancashire, it’s a responsibility,” he said, emphasizing his dedication to developing cricket within the region.
Beyond the immediate success of this year’s tournament, Goenka looked to the long-term vision for The Hundred and its growth potential. “It’s about building an emotional connection with not only the sport, but the format and more importantly the team,” he explained. He recognised that these kinds of connections will need time to build, but is confident that The Hundred has fostered a strong foundation.
“There is a lot that needs to be done to bring up the standard, but it’s a great start,” he concluded.
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