Adar Poonawalla, CEO of vaccine giant Serum Institute of India, has expressed interest in acquiring Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Poonawalla said, “At the right valuation, RCB is a great team,” signalling his openness to a potential deal and publicly acknowledging his interest.
Poonawalla’s interest
However, people familiar with the matter say the billionaire considers the team’s current valuation to be inflated. United Spirits Ltd, a subsidiary of Diageo Plc and the current owner of RCB, is reportedly seeking a valuation of $2 billion.
Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi weighed in on the potential deal, noting on social media that it “will establish a new floor price for all teams,” should it go through at the reported valuation.
RCB’s League Value
RCB is currently valued at $269 million, according to Houlihan Lokey’s 2025 IPL Brand Valuation Study, making it the most valuable franchise in the league. It edges out Mumbai Indians, valued at $242 million, and Chennai Super Kings at $235 million.
The IPL’s overall brand value was estimated at $3.9 billion in 2025, a 13.8% increase from the previous year. The total business value of the league stands at $18.5 billion, reflecting annual growth of 12.9%.