Hampshire’s new owners, the GMR Group, have expressed interest in becoming the sole owners of Southern Brave, the Southampton-based team in The Hundred cricket competition, according to Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove.
GMR Group Takeover Whole Hampshire County
GMR Group, which also co-owns the IPL team Delhi Capitals, completed its takeover of Hampshire after nearly a year of negotiations. This makes Hampshire the first English county club owned by an international franchise.
Currently, the deal only includes Hampshire. However, Bransgrove revealed that if the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) allows counties to sell their stakes in The Hundred franchises, GMR would be interested in buying Hampshire’s 51% share in Southern Brave, with an additional option to acquire the remaining 49% at market rate.
“They don’t have ownership of Southern Brave yet,” Bransgrove explained. “The ECB’s proposal hasn’t been fully decided or approved. But if it goes ahead, GMR would pay an extra amount for our stake, and they could also be one of several potential buyers for the remaining share.”
Bransgrove, who has been Hampshire chairman since 2000, brought the club back from the edge of bankruptcy and led it to new successes, including a move to the modern Utilita Bowl stadium. Under his leadership, Hampshire has won several limited-overs titles and will host an Ashes Test for the first time in 2027.
The GMR takeover will also settle Hampshire’s £7 million debt. Bransgrove reassured fans that GMR supports Hampshire’s approach to team selection, which combines local talent with experienced professionals and has no plans to change it.