The Oval Invincibles, a dominant force in The Hundred cricket competition, will officially rebrand as MI London, aligning with the MI collective of teams under the ownership of Reliance Industries Limited. This change marks the first time a team from the MI family has changed its name. More significantly, it’s indicative of a carefully considered strategy to increase the franchise’s international popularity and commercial worth.
The Oval Invincibles have established a remarkable track record in The Hundred, clinching the women’s championship in both 2021 and 2022, followed by three consecutive men’s titles in 2023, 2024, and 2025. This success highlights the deep competitive nature and widespread popularity of the team in the tournament.
In January, Reliance Industries Limited acquired a 49% stake in the Oval Invincibles from the England and Wales Cricket Board for an estimated £60 million. This wonderful deal is now officially completed! MI London is proud to be a part of other MI franchises under the Reliance umbrella, like MI Cape Town, MI Emirates, and MI New York. The name change is a thoughtful effort to bring these teams together and leverage their inherent strengths.
Reliance Industries has a history of winning with its franchise teams, drawing on deep cricketing acumen and business knowledge. This merger aims to not only enhance the team’s visibility but to foster sustainable growth for cricket in the community.
“We are delighted to welcome MI London into the #OneFamily and take the MI legacy to new frontiers.” – Nita Ambani
Changing the name to MI London will help build a strong local and global fan base. As part of this transition, a spokesperson from Surrey noted, “We have worked very closely with Reliance over the name of the new team and believe that MI London will give us the best opportunity to build the fanbase at home and across the world.”
The spokesperson further added, “We also believe that the team brand will help to grow the commercial value of our franchise, in turn boosting investment into the long-term sustainable growth of Surrey and of cricket in our community.”
The Hundred moves to auction for how players will be assigned to teams. MI London looks forward to using its new branding to continue recruiting the best talent and further strengthen an already competitive roster. The move reflects a broader trend within professional sports to align branding with strategic ownership structures, enhancing both marketability and team performance.
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