Charles Russell Speechlys advises Sun Group on its acquisition of Northern Superchargers

Charles Russell Speechlys (‘the Firm’) today announces that its Corporate Sports team – led by Partner, Keir Gordon - has advised Sun Group, one of India’s largest media conglomerates, on its acquisition of The Hundred cricket team, Northern Superchargers.

Sun Group currently owns Indian Premier League team, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and SA20 team, Sunrisers Eastern Cape. The Hundred is a 100-ball per innings cricket tournament, which was established in 2021 by The England & Wales Cricket Board (‘the ECB’) and has, since its launch, received significant publicity and high levels of interest from prospective investors.  The Northern Superchargers is one of the eight teams participating in The Hundred and is based at Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s ground, Headingley, in Leeds.

The ECB ran a well-publicised process to obtain private investment into each of the eight teams that currently participate in The Hundred. The Firm advised Sun Group on this competitive auction process and the subsequent steps required to close the transaction. The successful acquisition of the team by Sun Group results in the expansion of Sun Group’s Sunrisers franchise into the UK cricket market.

SL Narayanan, Group CFO at Sun Group, comments:

“Yorkshire County Cricket Club is an iconic name in English cricketing circles and we are delighted that the hallowed grounds of Headingley will soon be our home too. The Charles Russell Speechlys team, ably led by Keir Gordon, has been an admirable source of support right through this transaction, handling the assignment with competence, speed and prudence, while keeping client interests as their foremost objective.”

Keir Gordon, Partner and Head of the Corporate Sports team at Charles Russell Speechlys, comments:

“We are extremely proud to have supported Sun Group and their Corporate Finance Advisors, Oakwell Sports Advisory, on this seminal acquisition. The transaction highlights the continued interest in UK sports by international investors, as well as the current excitement around cricket and The Hundred, and the tournament’s potential for long-term success.”

The Charles Russell Speechlys team was led by Head of the Corporate Sports team, Partner Keir Gordon with Legal Director Tom Smitham, Senior Associate Molly Moseley and Associate Joseph Fleming. The wider team included Commercial Partner Richard Davies and Commercial Associate Alexander Needham and James Stewart and Lewis Currie in Corporate Tax.