The consortium, led by Palo Alto Networks' Nikesh Arora, Satyan Gajwani of Times Internet, Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Adobe's Shantanu Narayen, aims to venture into sports investments
New York: Alphabet Inc CEO Sundar Pichai is collaborating with a high-profile group of Silicon Valley executives in an effort to acquire a cricket team based in London, Bloomberg reports. The consortium is targeting one of two teams, the Oval Invincibles or the London Spirit, both of which participate in The Hundred, a cricket tournament in England and Wales.
The consortium, led by Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks Inc, and Satyan Gajwani, vice chairman of Times Internet Ltd, is placing a bid exceeding GBP 80 million for one of the two teams.
Other notable members of this group include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, and Egon Durban, co-CEO of Silver Lake Management LLC. Although the details are not public, insiders have confirmed the involvement of these tech leaders, Bloomberg said.
Pichai’s interest in cricket is well-known, reflecting a broader trend among Indian-origin tech leaders supporting the sport internationally.
The Hundred is a fast-paced, action-packed cricket tournament, as its website mentions. It follows a 100-ball format and is designed to captivate both dedicated cricket fans and newcomers alike.
The competition features eight city-based teams, each representing a major city in the UK. These teams, specifically created for The Hundred, compete every summer over five weeks, with both men’s and women’s tournaments taking place simultaneously.
Each team is made up of 15 players, including a maximum of four overseas stars. The men’s teams can also have up to two centrally contracted England players. The teams are formed through a Draft system for the men’s competition, while the women’s teams have their own unique player selection process.
