MI London: Reliance’s Global Cricket Expansion Reaches The Hundred
Oval Invincibles will be called MI London starting next season after the owners of the IPL team Mumbai Indians invested in the franchise. Reliance Industries Limited bought a 49% stake in the team, which has won five titles in The Hundred, from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in January.
The deal, worth around £60 million, is now officially complete. At the same time, the ECB confirmed that Cain & Ares Management Credit Funds has finalized its investment in Trent Rockets back in October. With these moves, all eight teams in The Hundred now have their ownership deals completed, after stakes in the other six teams were sold in July.
Oval Invincibles to Become MI London After Mumbai Indians’ Investment
The name change for Invincibles aligns the side with four other teams under Reliance ownership: MI Cape Town in South Africa's SA20, MI Emirates in the United Arab Emirates' International League T20, and MI New York in Major League Cricket in the United States. The Invincibles, who won the women’s competition in 2021 and 2022 and the men’s tournament in 2023, 2024, and 2025, are the first team in the MI group to get a new name. The other teams will keep their current names for now.
"We're pleased to have reached an agreement with the Reliance team over our partnership in the Hundred franchise team. Reliance bring a significant depth of cricket and business expertise and have had great success with their franchise teams in India and around the world," said Oli Slipper, the chair of Surrey, who retain 51% ownership of the renamed team.
"We have worked very closely with Reliance over the name of the new team and believe that MI London will give us the best opportunity to build the fanbase at home and across the world. We also believe that the team brand will help to grow the commercial value of our franchise, in turn boosting investment into the long-term sustainable growth of Surrey and of cricket in our community," said Oli Slipper.
Nita Ambani Welcomes MI London to the Global MI Family
The Hundred will now use an auction to pick players for each team. This could break up the Invincibles squad that won three men's tournaments in a row. Teams owned by Reliance have been very successful worldwide. Mumbai Indians have won the IPL five times, the most along with another team. The Mumbai Indians women’s team has won the Women’s Premier League twice. MI New York has also won twice in Major League Cricket. MI Cape Town won the latest SA20, and MI Emirates won the 2024 ILT20.
"We are delighted to welcome MI London into the #OneFamily and take the MI legacy to new frontiers," said Reliance founder Nita Ambani.
The MI Family Across Global Cricket Leagues
| League | Team Name |
|---|---|
| IPL | Mumbai Indians |
| WPL | Mumbai Indians |
| SA20 | MI Cape Town |
| MLC | MI New York |
| ILT20 | MI Emirates |
| The Hundred | MI London |
