Royals Fetch Big Money: RCB Sold for $1.78 Billion, RR for $1.63B Ahead of IPL 2026

A consortium comprising Indian and overseas business entities has acquired full ownership of Royal Challengers Bengaluru for about $1.78 billion, approximately ₹16,660 crore, in one of the most expensive deals in the history of the Indian Premier League.

The "all-cash" deal was announced by United Spirits Limited, the existing owner of the RCB teams in both the IPL and the Women’s Premier League.

Following the transaction, USL said both RCB teams, previously operated by its subsidiary Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited, will now be "owned and operated" by the consortium.

The consortium includes Aditya Birla Group, Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone's perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE.

The deal is subject to ratification by the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Competition Commission of India before the consortium formally takes charge.

Who is Kal Somani, the key figure behind the Rajasthan Royals acquisition?

In another high-value transaction, the Kal Somani-led consortium on Tuesday acquired the Rajasthan Royals for $1.63 billion, more than ₹15,000 crore, making it the second-costliest sale in IPL history. The deal will come into effect after IPL 2026.

Somani, who has been an investor in RR since 2021, is backed by American businessman Rob Walton and the Hamp family.

The scale of the two deals is underscored by the fact that both individually exceed the combined ₹12,715 crore valuation at which the Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans were sold by the BCCI in 2021.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Kal Somani is a US-based entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience across ed-tech, artificial intelligence, sports technology and data privacy.

Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, he is the founder of ventures including IntraEdge and Truyo and is involved in artificial intelligence governance initiatives.

Apart from the Rajasthan Royals, Somani is also the co-owner of the Motor City Golf Club and an early investor in ventures such as TGL Golf League and TMRW Sports.

The Bengaluru franchise was among the eight original teams when the IPL began in 2008 and was the second-most expensive at the time, bought for $111.6 million by the United Breweries Group owned by Vijay Mallya.

These twin transactions have emerged as the biggest off-field developments ahead of the new IPL season beginning on March 28.

(With inputs from ANI)