Hampshire County Cricket Club in 'detailed negotiations' over investment

Rod Bransgrove has a pavilion named after him at The Ageas Bowl

Hampshire have confirmed they are in "detailed negotiations" over new investment, amid reports the club could be sold to a group from the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Reports suggest majority shareholder Rod Bransgrove may sell his stake to GMR, the part-owners of Delhi Capitals.

BBC Radio Solent understands a deal is not close but talks have taken place with GMR and other interested parties.

Hampshire's Ageas Bowl ground also hosts Southern Brave of The Hundred.

It will host a men's Ashes Test for the first time in 2027.

No IPL side has ever directly owned an English club but it is nearly 14 years since Hampshire signed a "marketing alliance" with Rajasthan Royals, in a move which proved to be short-lived.

A Hampshire statement said: "Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Ltd has made no secret of the fact that it has been investigating a number of investment options for some time now and, in the course of these investigations, the company has engaged with a number of parties under conditions of confidentiality.

"Whilst it is true that the company is fully engaged in some detailed negotiations regarding investment, the nature and content of any such investigations are subject to formal non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) which the company is bound to observe.

"To date, we have concluded no formal binding agreements other than NDAs. We can make no further comment about the status of our negotiations until such time as we have something to disclose."

Bransgrove was elected chairman of the club in 2000 and is credited with saving it from insolvency and overseeing the most-successful period in its 160-year history before stepping down in 2022.

Nick Pike, who served as managing director from 2002 to 2005, took over as chairman, having been deputy chairman since June 2021.