[WATCH] 'Indian players will play The Hundred '- ECB chair drops bombshell

With another season of the Hundred around, the excitement has increased, as the England Cricket Board (ECB) chairman, Richard Gould, dropped a bombshell by claiming that it would be a matter of time before the Indian players turn up for the Hundred. It’s noteworthy that apart from the Indian Premier League, the Indian players don’t take part in any franchise league, which always makes the IPL more attractive.

A report from the Guardian informed that 31% of tickets for the league have been bought by women, out of which 23% belong to the juniors, and 41% of buyers attended in family groups. In the new edition of the event, four franchises have been sold out by the IPL sides, as Richard claimed that there is no study to find out that the fans, who watched the competition, tried to stay connected.

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That’s probably a bit of work that we now need to do going forward. Just to check that when people do come in, where do they go? Because you might get some coming into Test cricket who then go to the Hundred, and Hundred into Test cricket. We haven’t done that work in any great detail.’ He reckoned.

Watch: ECB chair hopes to see Indian players turn up in the Hundred

‘It’s a great day for the game. It’s just a matter of time before the Indian players turn up for the IPL for four to five weeks in late July and early August. It will become the number one competition in the Northern Hemisphere. But at the same time, it’s a responsibility to preserve the 18 counties and value the valuation.’ Gould added during an interaction on the BBC.

'It's a great day for the game.'

ECB chair Richard Thompson on the money that counties will receive from the sales of stakes in Hundred teams.

The ECB sold stakes in all 8 franchises earlier this year, raising around £520m to be split across the game. #BBCCricket #TheHundred pic.twitter.com/aJUv9TLWa4

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 31, 2025

With the 100-ball franchise tournament getting sold to the IPL, there are indications of the event turning into the T20s going forward. There are expected to be significant changes on the horizon for the competition.

‘That’s the kind of conversation we’re starting to get into now. It would be slightly odd to bring all these great people in and then just leave it as it is.’ Vikram Banerjee, the event’s managing director, said.