Northern Superchargers Men. (Photo by Nathan Stirk – ECB/ECB via Getty Images)

The Northern Superchargers franchise has been renamed Sunrisers Leeds ahead of The Hundred 2026 season. The Leeds-based franchise was recently acquired by media conglomerate Sun Group, which also owns Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, a two-time SA20-winning franchise in South Africa.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the rebranding reflects a composite identity that aligns the Leeds-based outfit with the Sun Group’s global Sunrisers brand across cricket leagues.

The company disclosed this information to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in compliance with SEBI regulations.

A couple of months ago, Sunrisers Leeds and Northern Super Sunrisers were the two names under consideration for the franchise before the Sun Group eventually chose the former. Apart from the Northern Superchargers, other franchises in The Hundred expected to undergo name changes include the Manchester Originals and the Oval Invincibles.

Since the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group holds a major stake in the Manchester Originals, the franchise is likely to be renamed Manchester Super Giants, aligning with the IPL’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Similarly, the South London-based Oval Invincibles are expected to be rebranded as MI London, following Reliance Industries Limited’s acquisition of a stake in the franchise in 2024. The Oval Invincibles remain the most successful team in The Hundred’s five-year history, having secured five titles across both the men’s and women’s categories.

Reliance Industries already owns multiple T20 cricket teams, including the Mumbai Indians and Mumbai Indians Women in the IPL and WPL, the MI Cape Town in SA20, the MI Emirates in ILT20, and the MI New York in MLC.

Meanwhile, The Hundred tournament is set to shift to an auction-based player recruitment system, a move made in consultation with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), all eight franchises, the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and The Hundred’s Playing Working Group.

Squad composition will also change, with teams to consist of 16 to 18 players, including a maximum of four overseas players.