After Mohun Bagan, The Hundred team Manchester Originals now set to be renamed as Manchester Super Giants

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The Hundred franchise Manchester Originals will be renamed Manchester Super Giants starting in 2026, as claims a report from Cricbuzz.

This change comes after Sanjiv Goenka, who owns the Lucknow Super Giants and Durban Super Giants, acquired a stake worth £107 million in the Manchester franchise earlier this year. It remains unclear if the team will adopt the blue colors of the Super Giants, moving away from the Originals' black.

Last year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to privatize The Hundred to attract outside investment, with the Manchester-based team joining the RPSG Group, owned by Goenka. Reports suggest Goenka outbid two other IPL franchises to secure the Originals. With this acquisition, Manchester becomes the third team under Goenka's ownership after Mohun Bagan FC, the Kolkata-based Indian football club, and the Lucknow Super Giants cricket team.

The Manchester Originals men's squad includes notable players like Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Heinrich Klaasen, and recently James Anderson. The women's squad features Sophie Ecclestone, Beth Mooney, Amelia Kerr, and Deandra Dottin. While the men's team finished as runners-up in 2022 and 2023, the women's team has yet to reach the playoffs.

When finalizing the deal, Goenka emphasized the potential of partnering with Lancashire Cricket. "We respect the legacy of Lancashire Cricket and we welcome Manchester Originals to our RPSG family," he said. "We are committed to developing a deep bond with the players, support team and the whole community at large. We believe in excellence and see a huge potential to deliver good quality cricket for generations to come."

Manchester Originals Chair James Sheridan expressed optimism about the partnership with RPSG. Citing the IPL as inspiration, he said, "We want to offer our fans an experience never before seen in English cricket-looking to the IPL, and other major sports, for inspiration, as we take our match day and fan experience to a completely different level. Whether in stadia or via digital channels, Manchester will be the team to follow in The Hundred as we will look to bring the world's top cricket stars, both female and male, to Manchester every August and provide sporting entertainment of the highest level to the people of Manchester and the wider North West."