Manchester Originals set for Super Giants rebrand

The Hundred’s Manchester Originals will incorporate Super Giants into their name following the majority acquisition by Indian billionaire Sanjiv Goenka.

Goenka’s RPSG Group paid a reported £80m for a 70% stake in the Old Trafford-based team.

The move will bring the franchise in line with his other cricket investments, the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Lucknow Super Giants and the SA20’s Durban Super Giants.

The rebranding is expected to take place in October, with Manchester Super Giants or Manchester Originals Super Giants being considered. Goenka also suggested the team’s current black kit and identity could be overhauled to create an integrated colour palette for all his cricket franchises.

The investment is part of a wider privatisation of The Hundred’s eight teams, which has raised £520m for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to reinvest in the domestic game. Goenka highlighted the potential for overseas TV rights and expressed his belief that the 100-ball tournament can only grow.

Sanjiv Goenka, Owner, RPSG Group, said, “You will see a name change, and we will definitely bring in the Super Giants into this. That is something that we’re trying to integrate, Super Giants into all our franchises.

He added, “When I invested $900m to buy an IPL team, the entire world thought I was mad. In the space of three and a half years, [it] is probably worth $1.5bn. The IPL is a league like no other but The Hundred…can only grow and we do believe that it will grow hugely.

“The very fact that we are partners with Lancashire, it’s a responsibility. It’s something that we are cognisant of and it’s something that we will do our best to deliver on. We would like to work with Lancashire to see what we can do to develop cricket here.“

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