Hampshire the first county with overseas owner

London — Hampshire will become the first English county to be owned by an overseas franchise after signing an acquisition agreement with Indian conglomerate GMR Group, the county championship club says.

According to the deal, GMR’s parent company (GGPL) has agreed on a “phased acquisition” of Hampshire’s parent company along with an initial reduction of their debt.

GGPL will initially acquire a majority stake in Hampshire with a complete 100% takeover expected in the next two years.

“This is the fulfilment of a dream for me and, I hope, for all Hampshire cricket supporters,” Hampshire Sport & Leisure Group chair Rod Bransgrove said in a statement.

“After a thorough selection process, we chose GMR as our partners due to their shared values and commitment to our vision. We believe it is a perfect organisation, with the right people, to build on our proud legacy.

“Becoming the first English cricket club to join an international cricket group will open exciting new opportunities as we embrace the globalisation of this great sport.”

Hampshire’s existing leadership team would remain intact with Bransgrove continuing as chair until at least September 30, 2026, and David Mann as CEO, the statement said.

GMR group owns teams in various Twenty20 leagues, including the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League and Women’s Premier League, Dubai Capitals in International League Twenty20 and Pretoria Capitals in SA.

Reuters

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