The Hundred: Southern Brave sale takes total value of eight teams to more than £900m

Southern Brave’s sale to the co-owners of Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals has taken the total value of the eight Hundred teams to more than £900m.

GMR Group completed a takeover of host county Hampshire last year, so were widely expected to take full control of the Brave in Wednesday’s final auction.

In pricing the whole franchise at around £98m, the entire value of the eight Hundred franchises comes to about £920m.

The total money raised to be shared among the 18 counties, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and domestic game is around £550m.

All deals now enter an eight-week exclusivity period, meaning they are due to be completed at the beginning of the English season.

With Delhi taking control of the Brave, it means four of the eight Hundred teams are linked to the IPL, fulfilling the England and Wales Cricket Board’s wish for a “blend” of investors.

Final auctions began almost two weeks ago, concluding a sale process that began in September with more than 100 interested parties.

Surrey negotiated a £60m price with the owners of IPL side Mumbai Indians for a 49% stake in Oval Invincibles, the county keeping the 51% given to them by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).