New Delhi, July 30 -- The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners extended their horizon on Wednesday as four of them were announced as "strategic partners" by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for teams in 'The Hundred'. They will gain operational control by October 1 this year.

The ECB in a release confirmed India's GMR, Sun TV Network Limited, RPSG Group, and Reliance Group as the strategic partners that will unlock "hundreds of millions of pounds for game-wide growth".

While the RPSG Group (70% stake at Manchester Originals), Sun TV Network Limited (100% stake at Northern Superchargers) and GMR Group (49% stake at Southern Brave) have formally completed their respective deals, the deal with Reliance Group (49% stake at ...