Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, are reportedly up for sale just months ahead of the 2026 season. Adding to the buzz, Harsha Goenka, elder brother of Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka, hinted that Rajasthan Royals, the 2008 IPL champions, are also looking for new owners.
Two Teams, Multiple Buyers
Harsh took to X on Thursday evening to post a tweet in which he wrote, “I hear, not one, but two IPL teams are now up for sale- RCB and RR. It seems clear that people want to cash in the rich valuations today. So two teams for sale and 4/5 possible buyers! Who will be the successful buyers- will it be from Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru or USA?”
Reports indicate that Jaipur-based Rajasthan Royals is largely owned by Royals Sports Group (Emerging Media Sporting Holdings Limited), which holds a 65% stake. Key minority investors include Lachlan Murdoch and RedBird Capital Partners. Meanwhile, the Bengaluru franchise’s sale process has been confirmed by Diageo, which announced on November 5 that it had initiated the sale. The process, as per filing with the stock exchange under Regulation 30 of SEBI’s Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements, is expected to conclude by March 31, 2026.
Potential Consortium and Rising Valuations
The buzz around RCB intensified after Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, hinted at a possible sale on X on October 1. Forbes estimates the Poonawalla family’s net worth at over $20 billion. A potential consortium featuring Poonawalla, along with billionaire investors Pai and Kamath, is reportedly considering a bid. Pai has an estimated net worth of $2.8 billion, while Kamath stands at $2.5 billion.
A 2022 Forbes report valued RCB at just over $1 billion, prior to their championship triumph in 2025. Given the franchise’s recent success, analysts expect its current valuation to have increased significantly, potentially reaching a new benchmark in the IPL franchise market.
