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Seattle Orcas’ owners invest in UK franchise Southern Brave
Southern Brave operates as the elite franchise of Hampshire Cricket, one of England’s 18 first-class counties. The investment aligns U.S.-based franchise ownership with Indian corporate capital in English cricket.
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Anushka Pathak - Thu, 22, Jan 2026
- 11:32 EST
- 17
L-R: Sanjay Parthasarathy, S. Somasegar, Indian American investors and co-owners of U.S.-based cricket team Seattle Orcas / Courtesy: LinkedIn
Indian American investors and owners of the U.S.-based cricket team Seattle Orcas, S. Somasegar and Sanjay Parthasarathy, announced their investment in Southern Brave, an England-based cricket franchise competing in The Hundred.
The investment follows India-based infrastructure conglomerate GMR Group’s acquisition of a 49 percent stake in the franchise.
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The deal comes as The Hundred transitions toward a privately backed ownership model, with all eight franchises collectively valued at more than US$1.3 billion (GBP 975 million). The competition was launched in 2021 and features a 100-ball format designed to deliver matches lasting about two and a half hours.
“What makes The Hundred truly special is that it’s designed for the whole family,” Somasegar said. “We’re delivering world-class cricket, and we’re creating an entertainment experience that brings generations together.”
The tournament runs men’s and women’s competitions in parallel with equal prize money, a first for a major professional cricket league. Women’s matches are scheduled alongside men’s games, increasing visibility and attendance.
“The Hundred has elevated women’s cricket to a prominence it’s never achieved before,” Parthasarathy said. “The doubleheader format, with women’s matches preceding men’s games, has been transformative.”
Southern Brave plays its home matches at the Utilita Bowl. The franchise has been one of the most consistent performers in The Hundred since the competition’s launch, reaching the knockout stages six times in eight seasons and winning both the men’s and women’s titles.
“The Hundred represents everything we believe cricket should be for the modern fan,” said Kiran Kumar Grandhi, corporate chairman of GMR Group and chairman of GMR Sports. “The 100-ball format is revolutionary because it removes barriers to entry. Whether you’re a cricket enthusiast or experiencing the sport for the first time, you can understand, enjoy, and be captivated by what unfolds in just two and a half hours.”
Founded in 2008, GMR Sports began its franchise journey with the Delhi Capitals and has since expanded across multiple international markets, linking Indian, American, and British cricket through shared ownership structures.
The Seattle Orcas is a professional T20 cricket team competing in Major League Cricket (MLC) representing the Pacific Northwest. The team is owned by an investor group of current and former Microsoft executives, technology entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists: Soma Somasegar, Sanjay Parthasarathy, Satya Nadella, Samir Bodas, and Ashok Krishnamurthi, in partnership with the GMR Group.
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