Rajasthan Royals Want To Take Over Yorkshire

IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals have launched an audacious bid to take over English county club Yorkshire, home of legendary cricketers Fred Trueman and Geoff Boycott.

If the deal materialises, the Royals will become the first overseas franchise to own an English county club.

The 2008 IPL champions have offered Yorkshire around £25million (Rs 260 crore/Rs 2.6 billion) to take complete control of the club, the British newspaper Daily Mail reported.

'The precise size of Rajasthan's equity stake would be determined by market conditions at the time of conversion, but they are understood to want a majority shareholding,' the Daily Mail report added.

Rajasthan's majority owner is London businessman Manoj Badale through his company Emerging Media. RedBird Capital and Lachlan Murdoch -- media baron Rupert Murdoch's younger son -- are also investors.

Yorkshire's executive team are weighing the offer from the Royals, which will be put forth to its board later this month, following which members would vote on whether to accept the offer.

Last week, there were reports that Yorkshire are considering selling the club to former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley to raise funds to pay off £15m owed to former chairman Colin Graves's family trust.

The club have also held talks over taking loans from other IPL franchises and Saudi Arabian Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud.

Royals want to take full control at Headingley, ending its 160 years as a members' club and have plans to bring in their own executives to run the club.

It could also pave the way for the Royals to own a team in The Hundred through Yorkshire's Northern Superchargers, with the England and Wales Cricket Board looking set to attract overseas investment.

The Royals already own teams in the Caribbean Premier League and South Africa T20 league.