This Indian Tycoon Announces Bid for RCB Ownership

Royal Challengers Bengaluru is looking forward to new owners before the IPL 2026 season. The team's current owners had already put them up for sale and it is likely to be finalised in a few months. Amidst this, an Indian businessman has shown interest to buy the franchise.

Before the Indian Premier League, there were several things which might change for teams. And this is for the RCB fans, as their team is entering the defending champions for the very first time in the IPL. Just before the new season begins, it is likely that the team will begin with a new owner.

Diageo had already put up the team on sale, and they are attracting bids. It remains to be seen which company would be buying RCB before the next season begins. But amidst all that predictions by the fans, an Indian Businessman has shown his interest to bid for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

1. Adar Poonawalla Confirms Bid

Adar Poonawalla is the one who has shown his interest to bid for the team. RCB is currently being valued at approximately 2 billion US dollars, and it seems to be a competitive deal. It is also being reported that they are being targeted by various other companies too, which makes Adar more eager to buy RCB.

Earlier when the rumours of RCB being put up on sale came online, Adar Poonawalla was the first one to react. He showed interest at that time, and he is also showing interest right now. After his tweet a few months back, fans wanted to know whether he will be placing bids for the team or not.

And Adar Poonawalla has responded to the same. He said that he would be placing a competitive deal to get RCB to his name. The reports also said that RCB is likely to find its new owners by March 2026. This further makes the fans eager to know who would be the new owners of the team.

2. RCB on Sale

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s owner, United Spirits wanted to sell off the team a long time back. The reports claimed that the company wants to end its journey in the sport side. Although they tried their best to sell off the team, they faced failures to find the best buyers at the right price.

But with RCB winning the IPL 2025 season, their valuation had a sudden hike and it was the right time to sell the team. At the same time, a tragic incident took place, which acted as another obstacle for Diageo to sell the team. The stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium had shaken the country, and even gave some legal troubles to the RCB.

As soon as they were solved, Diageo went back to their plans to sell off the team. The team owners also said that they don't get much benefit of owning an IPL team. Their main reason to sell the team is that it doesn't give much to their brand, which is based on selling drinks. Due to this reason, RCB was put up on sale for a whopping total of 2 billion US dollars.

Later, a notice was filed to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), by Diageo. It said, “Strategic Review of the Investment in Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. (RCSPL)." The disclosure said, "USL is initiating a strategic review of the investment in its wholly owned subsidiary, RCSPL. RCSPL's business comprises ownership of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise teams that participate in the men's Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women's Premier League (WPL) cricket tournaments hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annually.”

3.Poonawalla’s Return to IPL Bidding

The Poonawalla's have been an active part of IPL biddings, as they are eager to buy one. But unfortunately, they have not been able to get their hands on any team. Adar Poonawalla's father, Cyrus Poonawalla took part in the IPL 2010 biddings, which had two new teams to be introduced to the tournament.

These were the franchises for Pune and Kochi. But he was not able to win the biddings for any of these teams. Pune was won by the Sahara Group, and Kochi was won by the infamous Rendezvous Sports World. Both of these teams went on to play a few seasons of the tournament.

But they were eventually announced as defunct teams in the tournament, their journey being short lived. And now after 16 years, it is time for the Poonawalla's to return to the IPL biddings. Maybe Adar Poonawalla has a chance to become the first IPL team owner in his family.