Sunrisers Leeds owner Kavya Maran has shared her views on taking full ownership of the team in The Hundred. He said the team has built strong relationships with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Yorkshire County Cricket Club and has received an exciting response from fans.
Sun TV Network completed the purchase of the franchise, formerly known as Northern Superchargers, in January 2026. Rebranded as Sunrisers Leeds, the franchise has made a steady start to the 2026 season of The Hundred, with both the men’s and women’s teams winning one of their first two matches.
We were clear about ECB from the beginning – Kavya Maran on sole proprietorship
Kavya Maran said that acquiring full ownership of the franchise was always the priority of Sun Group. He said the transition has been smooth with the support of the England and Wales Cricket Board and Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Kavya Maran said, “Very much. I think that was something we were clear about from the beginning with the ECB as well and we have a very good relationship with the county of Yorkshire.”
“So I think even though we have it 100%, we’ve been working very closely with them and they’ve been a great partner to have on board.”
Sun Group became the sole investor to acquire 100% ownership of The Hundred franchise. Most other private investors purchased minority stakes. Kaavia Maran also represented the ownership group during the Player Draft ahead of the 2026 season.
I don’t think anything can stop us now – Kavya Maran on Sunrisers’ global vision
Responding to former Australia captain Aaron Finch, Kavya Maran said that the Sunrisers Group is keen to expand its global cricket presence. He expressed his delight at the way the fans in Leeds have embraced the franchise’s iconic orange colours.
Kavya Maran said, “Of course. I don’t think anything can stop us now. It’s a good start. I see a lot of orange colors and I think it’s a great start for us.”
“Obviously, it’s a new brand for them. They used to be in a different color, so the good news is they like orange and that’s exciting. I think we’ll only grow from here.”
“We’ll just move forward from here.”
Sunrisers Leeds owner Kavya Maran shares her views on sole ownership, relationship with the ECB and the franchise’s vision for the future.
Watch #TheHundred every day from 7PM onwards on Star Sports and JioHotstar. pic.twitter.com/c5ZHYALGmj
– Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 26, 2026
Sun TV Network, led by Kalanithi Maran and Kavya Maran, owns three major cricket franchises: Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20 and Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred.
Sunrisers Leeds men and women make steady start to The Hundred 2026
Sunrisers Leeds men’s team have made a solid start to the season with one win and one loss. After losing to MI London by seven wickets in the opening game, they bounced back with a five-run win over Southern Brave. Mitchell Marsh scored 69 runs in 34 balls and Dan Lawrence added 51 not out.
The women’s team also achieved one win after two matches. They started their campaign with an impressive seven-wicket win over MI London, but suffered a close five-wicket defeat against Southern Brave.
Both the teams will now try to regain the momentum in the remaining league matches. The franchise is also focusing on establishing the Sunrisers brand in English cricket as well as strengthening its relationship with supporters.
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