Name changes are not a new thing in franchise cricket. Especially when there are changes in ownership. The influx of Indian Premier League franchises into The Hundred meant that this was inevitable. One of the three IPL franchise-owned teams in The Hundred has officially changed its name.
Northern Superchargers, officially known as Northern Superchargers Ltd, will henceforth be known as Sunrisers Leeds after the formalities were completed on Friday (October 31). This is line with the other Kavya Maran-owned franchises headed by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.
In July 2025, Sun TV took complete ownership of The Hundred franchise for a deal worth £100.5 million and once that happened, a name upgrade was only a matter of time. Meanwhile, the other two franchises with IPL intervention - Manchester Originals and London Spirit - are expected to be renamed as well.
Manchester Super Giant and MI London are the names floating around the cricketing circles although nothing official has come out just yet. Meanwhile, Sun TV is yet to give a reason behind the name change but it is expected to be a development in sync with their brand consolidation plans.