Nikesh Arora believes tech consortium can help Hundred become “multi-billion dollar product”
Matt Roller07-Aug-2025The head of the Silicon Valley technology consortium that bid £144 million (US$193 million approx.) for a 49% stake in London Spirit in January believes that the Hundred can become “a multi-billion dollar product” to rival the IPL.Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, leads Cricket Investor Holdings Limited – better known as the ‘Tech Titans’ – and is a newly-appointed board member at Spirit after they completed their lucrative deal for a minority stake. They will run the franchise as a joint venture with MCC, who hosted the consortium at Lord’s this week.The consortium has grown in number since seeing off significant competition from Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group in a virtual auction earlier this year, with Arora estimating that 15 of its members were at Lord’s to watch the Hundred’s opening match day – which saw Spirit’s women beat Oval Invincibles, but the men’s team bowled out for 80.Related
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They met Justin Langer and Kane Williamson at a training session on Monday, and dined in the pavilion that evening before lining a hospitality suite in the Edrich Stand on Tuesday. The CEOs of Adobe, Google and YouTube are all involved; Satyan Gajwani, the vice-chairman of Times Internet, suggested that not even the World Economic Forum could bring them all together.Arora and Gajwani walked across the outfield and posed by the pitch after Tuesday night’s games, a display of power which laid bare the new era that awaits English cricket. “This is a way to get involved with one of the most storied and hallowed grounds in the world,” Arora said at Lord’s, while watching his new team for the first time. “It’s like bringing our passions to our work.”We’ve never had buyer’s remorse. We’ve never been stressed about what we paid. I have more people who want to be part of the consortium now than I had before I made the investment, so it’s not a problem. Many of them are here; they flew from the US to come watch it. This is a passion for every one of us… It’s going to be fun.”Chair Mark Nicholas has promised MCC members a “major relaunch” of the franchise once the joint venture assumes operational control from the ECB on October 1. The London Spirit name is expected to remain for the time being but new sponsors and new kits have been lined up, potentially incorporating egg-and-bacon trim or piping as a nod to the club’s famous colours.Justin Langer, David Warner and Kane Williamson arrive before the game•Getty Images
The eight Hundred franchises were sold at a combined valuation of around £975 million ($1.3 billion approx.) earlier this year. Six deals have now been signed off, with Cain International and Reliance Industries expected to complete their purchases of stakes in Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles respectively after the 2025 season is complete.Arora believes that the arrival of eight new investors simultaneously can “optimise” the Hundred and turn it into a “product” that rivals the most lucrative league in the world: “The IPL started from nowhere, and became a multi-billion dollar product. Why couldn’t this be that product? It’s not just us, there are eight new shareholders, give or take, across eight new franchises.”They all have successful businesses or cricket operations somewhere in the world. If that energy, that passion, that creativity, that innovation is brought to this, imagine what they could do? The ECB incubated it, which is great. But I’m sure there are ways to optimise things a bit better. I don’t think the Hundred is a bad product… It’s about creating the excitement around it.”