Mumbai, India — December 3, 2025 — Reliance Industries (RIL), through its wholly owned subsidiary Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited (RSBVL), has entered into a strategic partnership with Surrey County Cricket Club (Surrey CCC) to acquire a 49% stake in the Oval Invincibles franchise in The Hundred. In the revised ownership structure, Surrey CCC retains a 51% share. As part of the agreement, starting from the 2026 season, both the men’s and women’s teams will compete under the new identity, MI London. Reliance Industries Limited
Transforming Global Cricket — Reliance Industries’ Move into The Hundred
Reliance Industries has long established itself as a powerhouse beyond its core businesses — spanning energy, petrochemicals, retail, digital services, and media. With this landmark investment in cricket, the company now strengthens its global sports-franchise footprint, extending its reach into European cricket and the fast-growing franchise model under The Hundred. The acquisition isn’t just financial; it brings together sport, global branding, and a growing fan base under Reliance’s stewardship.
For Reliance, the acquisition of Oval Invincibles continues the global expansion of its cricket-franchise ecosystem — which already includes the famed Mumbai Indians (IPL), MI Cape Town (SA20), MI Emirates (ILT20), and MI New York (Major League Cricket) — and positions MI London as its entry into UK’s 100-ball cricket format. Cricket.com
Said by representatives of Reliance and Surrey CCC, the rebranding and partnership aim to leverage Reliance’s global sports management experience and Surrey’s strong local cricket heritage to develop MI London into a credible, competitive, and commercially valuable franchise on the global stage.
Legacy of Oval Invincibles — A Proven Winner Joins MI Family
The Oval Invincibles boast an unmatched record in The Hundred. Over five editions, the franchise has clinched the championship every year: the women’s team won back-to-back titles in the first two seasons (2021, 2022), while the men’s team secured three consecutive titles from 2023 through 2025.
This unmatched success — combined with star players such as Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Will Jacks, Alice Capsey, and globally recognized talents like Rashid Khan, Marizanne Kapp and Adam Zampa — ensures that the franchise joins MI London with a strong legacy, dedicated fan base, and proven performance.
Reliance’s acquisition of this successful franchise offers a potent combination: MI’s global brand strength and cricket-management expertise, paired with Oval Invincibles’ championship pedigree. The move increases the global exposure of The Hundred, enhances cross-market fan engagement, and strengthens cricket’s international footprint.
Strategic and Commercial Implications for Reliance Industries
Global Expansion of Sports Footprint
Reliance Industries emerges as one of the few conglomerates globally that owns a diversified portfolio of cricket franchises across continents — from Asia-based leagues to European formats. MI London adds the UK to this footprint, broadening fan base, sponsorship reach, brand equity, and opportunities for cross-market synergies.
Brand Consolidation under MI Network
Rebranding to MI London — aligning with the existing MI franchise family — ensures brand uniformity, enhanced merchandising potential, global fan mobilization, and seamless integration of operational protocols, marketing strategies, and brand identity. This standardization can amplify the MI brand’s value across leagues and geographies.
Commercial Upside & Fan Engagement
Given Oval Invincibles’ track record and The Hundred’s growing popularity, MI London could attract substantial sponsorship, media rights, merchandise, and international viewership. Reliance’s global resources, marketing capabilities and experience in franchise cricket augment the chances of converting on-field success into off-field commercial returns.
Growth of Cricket as a Global Business
The deal underscores how cricket’s franchise model is evolving into a global commercial sport. With Reliance’s entry, the lines between traditional cricket structures and global sports business are becoming more blurred — enabling talent exchange, brand expansion, cross-continental fan engagement, and consolidated operations across leagues under a unified global franchise network.
What to Expect: Path Ahead for MI London & Reliance
- 2026 Debut of MI London: From the upcoming 2026 season of The Hundred, the men’s and women’s teams will compete under the MI London banner, adopting new uniforms, brand identity, and global marketing strategy.
- Fan Base Expansion & Global Outreach: Leveraging Reliance’s global presence, marketing strength and MI franchise network, MI London is likely to target fans across India, UK, and international markets — boosting cross-regional engagement.
- Talent Development & Player Exchange: Integration within the MI network could lead to exchange of training methods, talent scouting, and potential cross-league player movement — enhancing competitiveness and global exposure for emerging players.
- Commercial Growth & Sponsorship Drive: With MI London, Reliance can attract global sponsors, media deals, merchandise licensing, and cross-brand partnerships, adding new revenue streams beyond match performance.
- Strengthening The Hundred’s International Appeal: Reliance’s entry demonstrates international investor confidence in The Hundred, potentially driving further growth, restructuring, and increased global viewership for the tournament.
About Reliance Industries
Reliance Industries is India’s largest private-sector company, with diversified interests spanning energy, petrochemicals, retail, digital services, media & entertainment, and now global sports franchises. As a Fortune Global 500 and Forbes Global 2000–ranked entity, Reliance is noted for its ambitions beyond domestic markets — strategically expanding across sectors and geographies. With the addition of MI London, Reliance further cements its ambition to be a global force in sports entertainment, capitalizing on cricket’s global growth and brand potential.
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