The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) began a three-stage bidding process on October 18, 2024, inviting private investments into The Hundred franchises. This move is stirring excitement across various sectors, with unexpected parties showing interest, including Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and several Indian Premier League (IPL) teams. Reynolds, who is a renowned global Hollywood superstar known for expanding his sports ventures, is reportedly eyeing the Welsh Fire team, adding it to his growing sports portfolio. On the IPL side, the involvement of nine teams is turning heads, with franchises like Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals leading the charge. Mumbai Indians, already expanding their global presence, are in talks for two potential teams, Lord’s-based London Spirit and Oval Invincibles. Also Read: Sri Lanka announces ODI squad for the West Indies series United Spirits, the owners of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), have chosen to sit out of this opportunity, remaining focused on their commitments in the IPL and Women’s Premier League. Similarly, Torrent Group, the major stakeholder in Gujarat Titans, is not interested in bidding for The Hundred. However, Delhi Capitals (DC), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are all actively involved in the bidding. GMR Group, co-owners of DC, recently acquired a majority stake in Hampshire and is looking to secure the Southern Brave franchise. Meanwhile, SRH, RR, and LSG have their sights set on the Northern Superchargers. LSG also showed interest in the Manchester Originals in earlier stages, hinting they may still be pursuing them or a similar team in this bidding round. The ECB, having previously reached out to over 100 potential investors, is now watching as bids from major players start to roll in.