The Mumbai Indians owner, Reliance India Limited (RIL), has bought a 49% stake in The Hundred's franchise, Oval Invincibles. Reliance digital defeated both CVC Capital and a consortium of Silicon Valley in the bidding process and has paid just over 60 million pounds of the franchise value of 123 million pounds The auction process for The Hundred teams is reaching its final stage, wrapping up a sales journey that began in September. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) adopted a phased approach, giving unsuccessful bidders another opportunity to compete for available teams. On Friday, two more franchises—London Spirit and Welsh Fire (based in Cardiff)—will be up for auction. The process will continue next week, featuring bids for the last four teams: Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Trent Rockets, and Southern Brave. Read also: Champions Trophy 2025: No opening ceremony, Rohit Sharma Won't Travel to Pakistan RIL's cricket ventures Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), led by Mukesh Ambani, continues to expand its presence in global cricket, with Oval Invincibles set to become the sixth franchise under its management. RIL already owns Mumbai Indians (IPL and WPL), MI New York (MLC), MI Cape Town (SA20), and MI Emirates (ILT20), establishing a strong footprint in various leagues worldwide. Initially, there was speculation that RIL was targeting London Spirit, the Hundred team based at Lord’s. However, the focus shifted to Oval Invincibles during the bidding process. If Surrey County Cricket Club, which currently holds a 51% stake, chooses to sell its shares, RIL could gain full control over the franchise. The ECB's privatization strategy allowed host venues to sell portions of their allocated stake, but Surrey has remained firm in retaining control. With this move, RIL continues to reinforce its dominance in franchise cricket across multiple continents. Notably, the Oval Invincibles have been the reigning champions, having the men's team win it twice. The female's team won the title in 2021 and 2022.