Welsh Fire Hundred owner still in mix for $1.7bn Rajasthan Royals IPL team
The co-owner of The Hundred team Welsh Fire remains in the hunt for Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals despite a rejected $1.7bn bid, Morning Wire understands.
The Royals, who won the first season of the Indian Twenty20 competition in 2008, are one of two high-profile IPL teams currently up for sale.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, partly owned by drinks giant Diageo, could fetch $2bn with the likes of Manchester United’s ruling Glazer family among the bidders circling.
Rajasthan Royals turned down a $1.7bn bid from private equity group Columbia Pacific Capital Partners, led by Nisha Sachdeva and Debjeet Gupta, in the last few days.
But Welsh Fire co-owner Sanjay Govil, who purchased 50 per cent of the Cardiff-based Hundred franchise in 2025, is understood to still be in the mix.
Although the $1.7bn rejection suggests a surge in valuations of IPL franchises, the Welsh Fire and Washington Freedom Major League Cricket owner could still front a bid for the Jaipur-based team.
ESPN Crickinfo reports that other bidders include Lancer Capital, Capri Global, Arizona-based tech entrepreneur Kal Somani and the Times of India Group.
Welsh Fire in for IPL?
The move would give Govil – and by proxy Welsh Fire – a presence in the United States, UK and India, while potential tenders for Australian Big Bash team sales could also attract the Indian-American businessman.
It comes after Welsh Fire splashed the cash at the recent Hundred auction, adding English duo Jordan Cox (£300,000) and Joe Root (£240,000) to a squad that includes Phil Salt, Chris Woakes and Rachin Ravindra. Indian players were not available to purchase.
Speaking to Morning Wire last year, Govil said he wants the 100-ball competition to fall in line with other franchise leagues and adopt a T20 format.
“I hope it becomes T20, like, now. I have made it very clear that I want T20 to everybody who listens,” Govil said.
“Because, as it is, we have Test, ODI, and T20 and so having The Hundred also, I don’t know how it fits in with the international statistics for the players. If it doesn’t even count [to their numbers], and the seriousness never comes in, it doesn’t matter.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes T20 in the next one or two years.”
The IPL valuations suggested by interest in both Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru could see the volume of bids in franchises slim down as many potential investors are priced out of the globe’s most popular T20 league.